


Delicate

by dfc_afterdark (dfcfanfics)



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: ...Surprise?, A Fairy of Light, A-Buh-WHA?, Aged-Up Character(s), An Avocado is Often Misunderstood, An Exchange of Trust, An Open Invitation, Any Bullets Left In That Thing?, Around and Around and Around and, Blanket Monster Rapid Response Team On Duty, Christmas Morning Comes Early, Come On Up And See Me Sometime..., Connecting the Circuit, Cousin Adreeeeeep Sends His Regards, F/M, Facing The Music(ian), Fancy Meeting You Here, Forward My Mail to Right On The Edge, Gettin' Grumpy Cat Movin', Hurt/Comfort, I Am Not The Kwami Of Voyeurism, I Assure You That I Can Explain What I'm Doing Here, Light Bondage, Making Sure You're Squeaky-Clean, Mildly Dubious Consent / Gentle Femdom, No Complaints About the Allegro, Non-Explicit Sex, Not What But How, Not going anywhere, Papa Never Made Desserts Like This, Porn Without Plot is like Faith Without Works, Pronunciation Equally So, Romance, Sexual Content, She's Used To Dealing With Stubborn Cats, Silent Passion, So That's Where You Went, Stamina Is Often Undervalued, The Depth of the Hole You've Dug, The Helplessness of Midnight, The Power of Emotion, The Smallest Kitchen in France, This Space Reserved For Kitten, Weighing Yesterday Against Tomorrow, Why Are You Not Rubbing My Belly?, Yin Meets Yang, Zoom - Zoom - Enhance, a happy reunion, all eyes on me, let's make a deal, well helLO there
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-05
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:07:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 139,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24560530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dfcfanfics/pseuds/dfc_afterdark
Summary: WARNING: MATURE CONTENT and NON-EXPLICIT SEXUAL THEMES.  Not my usual fare.  Hide the kids!A university-aged Marinette hears a cry for help on a quiet Saturday night, while walking home. Her glory days as Ladybug were years ago, but she still has her Miraculous, so... she investigates. What she finds startles her... among other emotions.What ONCE was a two-shot has evolved into a running tale of aged-up relationship building, dealing with secrets from the past, and learning that sometimes the strongest partnerships don't involve any masks.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 234
Kudos: 337





	1. *Needle Scratch*

Delicate

by DFC_afterdark

WARNINGS: Non-explicit sexual content, aged-up characters (19-20-ish), mature themes.

* * *

Chapter 1

* * *

Marinette Dupain-Cheng walked slowly down a side street late on a Saturday evening, taking the long way around to her apartment.

She'd spent a quiet evening with a handful of friends; a light supper, a little wine, some pleasant conversation. Not at all uncommon weekend entertainment for her… though at times she felt like a fifth wheel, as usual. Jacques and Amy appeared to be counting the minutes until they could slip away and ravish each other again; _I swear, they're like rabbits,_ she giggled to herself _. Where do they find all that energy?_

Peter and Gail were even harder for her to watch, though. She had to admit that much to herself. While the two of them weren't as openly frisky as Jacques and Amy, the way that the two of them looked at each other… those adoring _eyes_ … all the _time_! It wasn't a big secret that their friends kept a betting pool open as to when he would propose, or if she would beat him to it.

_Someday, someone's going to look at me every day with eyes like that,_ she smiled, sadly. _Someday._

She ambled home, in no hurry; between her self-defense training and the secret ace-in-the-hole adorning her ears, how was anyone unsavory going to pose a threat to her if they caught her alone? So she let her mind wander a bit as she walked… thinking of the errand she had to run for her father tomorrow, picturing a warm snuggle with her kitten when she got home, hearing a distant scream for help, wondering if it was going to rain on Tuesday when she…

_Wait._

_A scream for help?_

She turned and scanned the vicinity. As best as she could tell, it was coming from an old and dilapidated house across the street, one that might've been a decent university to-let at one point but had fallen into deep disrepair. It looked abandoned more than anything else, frankly… but its front door was wide open.

_A hero's life is never dull,_ she thought. _At least not the heroic part of it_.

A young woman ducked into an alley, getting out of sight… and a red blur dashed out.

* * *

The house was dirty and cluttered, obviously having gone unused for a while, and it had a musty smell to it. Half-shredded cardboard boxes were piled up in one corner; miscellaneous trash and bottles and cans were strewn around a dirty carpet. It looked as if someone had been living at the house for a while as a cheap place to sleep, but had abandoned it some time ago.

There weren't a lot of personal belongings visible; it was mostly just filthy food wrappers and remnants of booze-ups, as if it had been taken over as a makeshift party house on a semi-regular basis.

_Probably university students,_ she reasoned. _With rather low standards, or just wanting a place that they can tear up on weekends and not have to maintain. There are a couple of trash bags around, so someone made at least a token effort to clean up once in a while... but it's still pretty nasty, though._

After finding the first floor empty except for long-disused kitchen appliances and the aforementioned party detritus, Ladybug tiptoed up the stairs. She found a hallway with two closed doors and one open one; the sound seemed to be coming from the open one, likely an old bedroom.

"Is someone there?" someone called. "I could use some help!"

_Well, I did want a little bit more excitement in my evening tonight,_ she told herself, with a small smile.

Ladybug entered the room as stealthily as she could. _Get serious, girl. There could be anyone in there,_ she thought. _It's not like the days when I had my partner backing me up..._ _I have to be prepared for anything_.

As it happened… she was not prepared.

It's hard to say how she could have been less prepared.

* * *

Ladybug scanned the room warily; this room appeared a bit cleaner than the others she'd seen, if not by all that much. Her mental calculations stopped abruptly as she looked to her left. A twin bed stretched out along the far wall, and on it were some plain cotton sheets, (thankfully) appearing reasonably unstained… and a young man.

The young man was thin and fit, with an athlete's build. He had some well-toned muscles in the right places, but not enough to place him as a serious bodybuilder; more of someone with a balanced workout regimen, perhaps a runner. His blonde hair was mussed up from exertion; whether it was from pleasant exertion or from a struggle to get him where he was now, she couldn't tell.

What he was wearing was quite notable: a crude black blindfold, a pair of handcuffs binding his wrists to the headboard, and a petrified expression on his face once he realized that had company.

And nothing else.

* * *

_AAAAAGH!_

Ladybug let out an "Eeep!" sound and headed for the door, purely out of instinct.

The boy's reaction was instant and fearful; he let out a yelp of his own, then called out to her, "Who's there? Help, please! _Please_ don't hurt me."

In mid-stride, hearing him clearly for the first time, Ladybug stopped.

_That VOICE_!

It was a voice that had made her heart sing every time that she had heard it, and one that had filled many of her dreams at night, innocent and otherwise.

It belonged to a person by whose side she'd once hoped that she'd grow old.

The two of them had fallen out of touch after graduation from _lycee_ ; she'd assumed that he would take on a larger role in his father's business empire, and would quietly forget the experiences that he'd had in public school and most of the people he'd met there.

Like her.

Or at least he would forget the yearning for him that had been embedded in her voice for years… not that she was sure that he'd ever actually heard it.

Ladybug pitched her voice low, just above a whisper, so as not to be recognized. " _Adrien_? Adrien _Agreste_?" she called to him, desperately forcing herself to not turn her head in his direction.

He responded by pulling hard on both wrists, trying desperately to wrench himself free but failing. "I… yes, that's me! Do I know you? _Please_ help me, _whoever_ you are! Get me out of here!"

* * *

Ladybug ran to his side, trying to keep her eyes laser-focused on Adrien's restrained wrists. She left his blindfold on for now, for the sake of what little dignity each of them had left.

He felt her hands examining the cuffs and begged, "Can you get them loose?"

"They're on tightly, I'm afraid. I think that they're real handcuffs, not play ones with a release button. Those would need a key, and I don't see one here," she noted, sadly. "I have to think about how to handle this."

_Maybe I could Lucky Charm up a handcuff key?_ she considered. _But what if that's not what the magic gives me? Then I'd have only a few minutes before changing back, and I don't want to leave him here alone… and I don't want to face down a bunch of rowdies as just plain Marinette!_

She stepped away, turning her back to the unfortunate young man, and dashed over to close and lock the room's door.

"Wait!" Adrien yelled, in panic. "Don't _leave!"_

"I'm not leaving you, Adrien. I promise you that," Ladybug said in a low voice, as she returned to his side. "I'm just locking us in, keeping this between the two of us."

"...Thank you," he mumbled. "At least something has gone right tonight. ...Sort of."

* * *

"How on _EARTH_ did you get here like this, Adrien?" Ladybug hissed, after a long silence. "Are you okay? Did someone kidnap you? Or try to hurt you?"

"I'm fine, at least physically. It's a long story," he mumbled.

"Well, you're not going anywhere right now," she quipped. "Want to tell me about it, while I figure out what to do?"

Ladybug tested the headboard; it, too, was sturdy. _Breaking it might be a last-resort option, but doing so without causing harm to Adrien could be tricky,_ she figured. _He's pretty vulnerable like this, and his hands are right in the middle of it. I wouldn't want him getting cut up by flying bits and pieces._

"It's really embarrassing," Adrien blurted out.

"I… kind of figured that?" Ladybug consoled him. "But I won't tell another soul what happened, if you'll tell me. I just want to know what I'm dealing with here, and you, um, have to admit that it's a _very_ unusual situation."

Adrien felt the mattress shift as she sat on the bed, down by his legs.

"I'm facing away, I promise," she giggled. "Tell me a story?"

He sat there, weighing his options… or lack of options… and sighed loudly.

* * *

"It was a university party. Some people that I didn't know very well invited me. Trying to be friendly, they said." he began. "I don't have a lot of friends around campus; I kind of have a reputation as 'one of the rich kids,' though I'm not sure why any more... I guess they haven't seen my last ATM receipt. Anyway, I hung out there for a while; there was a cute redheaded girl who kept flirting with me. Most people there were pretty loaded. I wasn't; I don't drink. She also wasn't drunk, I don't think, or I wouldn't have pursued her."

"You're fully sober? That's good," replied Ladybug. "I might need you to have as clear a head as possible. Go on…"

"So they told me about an afterparty, the redhead asked me to come along, and when we got there she started kissing me and told me, 'Come upstairs with me,'" Adrien continued. "She started stripping me, then she cuffed me like this, and I wasn't sure what was going on… I just thought she was a little, like, kinky?"

"More than a little, maybe," Ladybug chuckled. "But that's not the worst thing I've ever run into. I walked in on two of my friends one time in the middle of something complicated, and I thought that I'd have to bleach my eyes out."

"Heh. Okay..." Adrien managed. "And then once the blindfold was on, I heard all these _people_ come running in! The room filled up with people pointing and laughing at me. I didn't hear any camera sounds, but at least my face was covered if there were any... And then they left me like this! I've been here for maybe an hour and a half by myself. Maybe longer? I can't exactly look at my phone to check."

"Huh. Some _friends_ ," snarled Ladybug.

"Like I said… they _weren't_ friends. I was just stupid, and a little bit desperate," Adrien grumbled. "I let the wrong part of me do all the thinking."

Despite her better judgment, Ladybug stole a peek. _I'd let that do some thinking,_ she grinned to herself, then chastised herself for going there.

* * *

Ladybug looked around the room, quickly. "Do you know where your clothes went? So that I can at least, like, cover you up some?" she asked.

"Not a clue. They might've taken them with them," Adrien sighed. "I guess they thought that leaving me here naked and helpless was pretty funny."

"Was someone going to come _back_ for you, at least?" Ladybug asked, horrified. "You could spend days here without being found, if they didn't!"

"I don't know. I'd hope so, but... Whoever you are, I'm _really_ lucky that you found me, then," gulped Adrien. "I figured that they'd at _least_ want their handcuffs back!"

"If they come back for you while I'm here," growled Ladybug, "they will regret it more than they could _possibly_ imagine."

"Um... don't do anything rash, okay?" pleaded Adrien. "I'm very thankful that you're watching over me like this, but there's one of you. There were a lot of them."

"They could bring an army," Ladybug insisted.

"...Okay, then," Adrien said, a bit surprised by her ferocity. "My clothes really are gone, by the way?"

"I don't see them anywhere. There's not much in this room that I'd dare touch you with; most of the trash in this house is pretty nasty and gross," said Ladybug. "The bedsheets don't look too terrible, at least; that's something. I guess they put fresh sheets on there once in a while for... whoever wants to use this room when they're here partying. They probably just buy cheap sheets from somewhere, and ball the old ones up and throw them out when they get too slimy."

"Yeah. I didn't see anything icky on them when we came in... and haven't _felt_ anything gross underneath me," sighed Adrien. "Though at some point, I _will_ have to pee."

"I could, um, cover _something_ up with an old Chinese food takeout box…" she noted, wryly.

"I'd rather that you didn't, if it's all the same," said Adrien, quietly. "I don't know how long that box has been there, or whose it was, or what's been nibbling at what was in it... and besides, General Tso's _that_ isn't on tonight's menu."

Ladybug laughed loudly at that… and she watched Adrien's head tilt slightly, as if he thought that he'd recognized something. "Hey," he asked, fumbling for the right questions. "What's your name?"

"I'd rather not say, Adrien," murmured Ladybug. "Trust me."

"Oh…" She heard the nervousness increase in his voice. "You, um… knew who I am. Can you tell me if I know you?"

Silence filled the room, momentarily.

A quiet voice replied, "You do."

"Do I know you well?" he asked.

"You used to," she offered, just as quietly.

" _Oh_."

* * *

"This is awkward," mumbled Adrien, after another long pause.

"You _think?"_ Ladybug chuckled. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to laugh at you, Adrien! This is just… so _surreal._ I've never seen anything like this, except in movies."

"What kind of movies were you watching?" asked Adrien.

"Never you mind," she chastised him. "I'm old enough."

Even he had to laugh a little at that.

"Okay. Thinking…" noted Ladybug. "We're alone here. You're naked, so you'll need clothes or something to cover yourself once I get you free. You don't have a car or anything nearby, do you?"

"I don't. The girl who did this drove me over here, so I guess that I'm walking. It's at least a couple of miles to my place, but I'll cross that bridge once I get to it," Adrien replied.

Ladybug sighed, "I don't know _how_ I'm going to get you free, though; I don't have a key and I don't know where to get one. I don't want to call the cops or the fire department to come and find you... that's all you'd need, right? Splashed all over the papers with a black box over your parts, but not over your _name_. And I don't want to leave you alone like this. I'd be so worried about who else might find you."

She sat down on the edge of the bed. "What am I going to _do_ with you, Adrien?" she pondered.

Ladybug wasn't ready when he answered in a suggestive voice, "Well, I'm not going anywhere right now, so if you're not busy..."

* * *

A sensation like liquid flame ran through Ladybug's entire body, as she processed his suggestion.

"That is... um... _true_ ," was all she could muster right away. "We're certainly alone enough..."

"Oh, I didn't mean… _that_ … necessarily!" he blushed. "I'm so sorry! I was trying to make a joke out of this, not to assume anything from you. I..."

His fatal mistake was that he got Ladybug thinking.

* * *

"Adrien, you're _crimson_ right now," she smiled. "My goodness!"

"Can you blame me? Look at me! _Um,_ I mean… on second thought…" he stammered. "Perhaps not."

"No... actually, I think that I _will,"_ Ladybug half-whispered. "Let me tell you what I'm thinking right now, Adrien…"

He fell silent, not sure quite what he was anticipating from her now.

"Adrien... you _do_ know me. What you don't know is that I had a crush on you for a very, very long time," she told him. "I don't know if I ever imagined you quite like _this_... but I've been wondering what you would look like naked for _years_. And I must say that I _really_ like what I see."

The way that his body twitched registered that he appreciated her appreciation... and had a slight inkling of what she might be about to suggest. She laid her hand on the top of his thigh, very lightly, and his physical reactions... one in particular... were quite entertaining for her to watch.

"I'm going to guess," she continued, lightly, "that it's been a while for you. Long enough to take a chance on some random party girl that you didn't know. I know that you've been lonely in some parts of your life, and I'm guessing that your love life's one of those right now. Adrien, am I right?"

Grudgingly, he nodded his head in the affirmative.

"Enough to take a chance on some random, meaningless sex when you thought it was headed your way. I can't say that I've never felt that desperate, so don't feel too bad about that," she smiled. "In fact... I'm in a pretty long dry spell, myself."

Adrien caught his breath.

"So… what I could do," she whispered in a husky voice, walking closer to the head of the bed, "is to make the best of a bad situation. No strings attached... just handcuffs."

Her hand brushed his shoulder. Glancing back, she could tell that she had his complete attention and then some.

"I realize how crazy this sounds... I can't believe I'm doing this," she giggled. "But you were ready for _this_ with someone random... so with someone who cares for you instead, that should be a real upgrade, hmmm? I _promise_ that it'll be worth the risk for you, and that I would never, ever hurt you."

"Would you like that?" Ladybug breathed into Adrien's ear, leaning in very close.

She looked down the bed once more, and added, "Your body's screaming _yes…_ but that's not enough. I have to hear you say it, Adrien. You can say no at any time, if you're uncomf—"

"I really _do_ know you?" asked Adrien, desperately. "And I can trust you that this will be, you know, safe?"

"Yes, and _absolutely_ yes," Ladybug replied. "You may be tied down… but you're in control, if that makes sense. You can stop me with a word."

"Then… yes. _Please_ ," he replied.

That was all Ladybug needed to hear to sink down into a deep and searching kiss.

* * *

The kisses flowed like water, one after another, her hands caressing his face... then she leaned back slightly, running a finger down his neck. She grinned as Adrien moaned loudly, now recognizing the full implications of his predicament and what his request had just bought him.

"Are you okay down there?" Ladybug asked.

_"Beyond_ okay," Adrien replied. "Please, don't stop!"

"Oh, it won't _stop,"_ she giggled, feeling exceptionally playful; she had every intention of being gentle and kind with him, but the possibilities were exploding within her mind.

"Or, it might for a moment..." Ladybug leaned back, seeing him strain and try to lean in her direction; then she ran a finger down the middle of his chest, stopping just short of his hips, making him shiver.

She added, "But then it'll start again somewhere else." She rained down little kisses over his collarbone, from one side to the other, then whispered, "Then somewhere else. Then I wonder where _else_ I might pick, hmmm?"

A finger gliding across his midsection quickly made him jump and squeal loudly.

"This would be a very bad time for you to tell me that you're ticklish," Ladybug grinned.

"I'm not… normally…" Adrien gasped. "But this is... like _nothing_... I've... _ever_ felt before."

"Good," she giggled. "You like?"

"I _love,"_ he breathed. "But... there is one thing I'm wondering."

Ladybug paused her affectionate assault for a moment. "What's that?"

"Are you... wearing gloves?"

* * *

_Uh-oh._

"I... am," Ladybug replied, slowly.

"That explains why it felt a little funny," Adrien replied, deliberately. He paused before adding, "Is there a reason for that?"

"It's hard to explain, Adrien," she sighed. "Because I can't take them off very easily... but I really _should_ before we go any farther."

Adrien felt her weight leave the bed for a moment. "If I do this… I am making a giant leap of faith here. I need to trust you as much as you trust me right now," Ladybug declared.

"I don't think there's a lot that I could do to break that trust, all things consid—"

"I'm _serious_ , Adrien," she snapped. "I want to do this for you... _with_ you. But to do it right, it would be... well... as vulnerable for me as _you_ are right now. Maybe more. You'll understand, if I do it."

"I hope so," Adrien said. "I can't imagine anything more vulnerable than I am right now."

"Do I have your word?" she asked. "That you will do as I ask you, and you won't ask too many questions afterwards?"

"I swear! Cross my heart and hope to die," replied Adrien. "But what could be so..."

_"Spots off."_

* * *

The words and the whooshing sound that followed made Adrien freeze in place, not daring to credit his own senses with what he was sure that he'd heard.

"You can't be serious! This _can't_ be happening!" gasped Adrien, frantically.

"Um... surprise?" Marinette whispered, nervously. _I can't speak very loudly, or he might figure out who I am_ , she thought.

_"Ladybug?"_ he whispered. "Is it really _you_? I heard the transformation flash…"

"It's me. It's the _real_ me," replied Marinette. "Thank goodness for that blindfold."

"I have to be dreaming. I _have to be dreaming_ ," Adrien panted, drawing a nervous smile from Marinette.

"Why is that?" she asked him. "I'm just a girl, you know."

"Ladybug… I have had the biggest crush on you since the day that we met! I, uh… didn't picture something quite like _this_ …"

"Shhh," Marinette said, fumbling with her attire. "Then I want you to picture something else."

"What's that?" he asked, barely breathing. He heard a couple of thumps, like shoes being kicked off, then rustling fabric.

"A Ladybug who had a _massive_ crush on you back in the day. Who always _has_. Who needs to show you just how much."

"Are you _serious_?"

"I want you to imagine your Ladybug wearing her mask... and _nothing else."_

He felt her weight on the mattress next to him. Her leg touched his leg... and when she moved, the sensation made him feel like he was about to pass out.

"Ready to do _wonderful_ things with you. Things you've only dreamed about. Things that _she's_ dreamed about."

Her skin gliding against his was warm, soft, and impossibly sensual. She pressed against him in ways that proved that she was a girl of her word; she was as bare and as ready as he was. Her kisses were electric.

"Would you like that, Adrien?"

Before he surrendered completely to sensation, he heard a voice whisper intensely into his ear:

"Feels like you _would_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am not someone who is accustomed to writing Our Heroes in spicy scenes... or at least Tabasco-hot at most, not habanero-hot. In canon, they are simply of an age in which they are aware that sex exists, but find it just a little bit scarier than Hawkmoth.
> 
> But after getting _many_ comments during Stuck in a Bakery requesting sweaty snugglebunnies... one person in particular, who _clearly_ knows what he or she wants... well, sometimes you have to give the people what they want.
> 
> Two chapters. Don't be sure from the first that you know where the second one is going. ;) Joe Bob says check it out.


	2. A Different Kind of Reveal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After all these years, Ladybug and Adrien have made love... but not in a time, place or manner that either of them ever expected. But that, of course, is far from the end of things.
> 
> Where do they go from here? What had happened to Ladybug and to Chat Noir in the last few years? When Ladybug removes his blindfold... what happens next? And what are the implications for the morning after?

Delicate, Chapter 2

* * *

The afterglow felt nearly as intense as what had preceded it.

Adrien lay panting, glistening with sweat, trying to come to terms with the dozens of emotions running through his head. He wondered if he would ever be the same again.

A warm body was snuggled up close against his, her head resting gently on his shoulder, her arm draped across his bare chest. Her fingers traced little patterns on his shoulder. He felt a wetness near her eyes, but he couldn't tell if it was teardrops or sweat, hers or his.

"Ladybug?" he asked, timidly.

"I'm here, Adrien," Marinette whispered, sounding emotional. "I told you that I wouldn't leave you. And I meant it."

"Thank you so much," Adrien gasped, with no idea of what else he could say. "Thank you, thank you, _thank you!"_

"Oh, believe me, it was my pleasure, too!" giggled Marinette, not having expected that response at all. "Literally! For someone who couldn't use his hands... you're pretty talented with everything else!"

 _I haven't shuddered like that since... ever!_ she grinned to herself.

"Not just for _that,"_ he groaned. _"Astounding_ as it was, not just for that."

"For what, then?" murmured Marinette, looking up at his still-blindfolded face.

"For protecting me tonight. For caring enough about me to see that I didn't come to any harm, no matter how dumb I was to end up tied up like this. For... sensations that I'd never imagined! For ruining my sex life forever," he added, "by giving me an evening so erotic that _no other girl on Earth_ will ever be able to compare to it."

"Well… I may end up in therapy myself after this," Marinette admitted. "To find you in a situation like this, so completely irresistible... for me to take control like that, even though you could've stopped me at any time... you _did_ understand that, right?"

"Oh, yes," grinned Adrien. "I wouldn't have stopped you for anything in this world... even before I knew your... little secret."

"Cool," said Marinette. "I've almost never been quite that... um... _aggressive_ before! But you were _awfully_ inspirational."

"If that was your first time doing that like that..." Adrien said, "I'm _dead_ if you ever get to do it again."

"Let's slow down, you!" laughed Marinette, "I'm still shocked at what I just did with you _once_! That kind of wildness... um... that's not a side of me that comes out very often."

"It's hard for me to imagine that it would," gasped Adrien. "I have to ask, though... are you on birth control, Ladybug? I didn't feel a condom."

"I am on the pill, yes," Marinette assured him. "Now I have to ask... since I can't _believe_ that I acted like this without thinking it through... is there anything else that I'd have to, you know, worry about?"

"No STDs here," Adrien declared. "It's been... um... about two years since my last time, and I know that she and I were clean then."

"Likewise. Okay, it hasn't been two years... _two years,_ Adrien?... but it's been a while," Marinette replied, "and only in a monogamous relationship. I can't believe I... wow! I am _not_ a one-night-stand kind of girl. Much less something like _this!_ If it had been anyone but you…"

"I meant _that much_ to you?" asked Adrien, with some wonder.

"I can't tell you how, exactly," said Marinette. "But you certainly did."

"Is there any chance that I could again?"

* * *

He felt Ladybug's weight shift, sitting up on the bed. Even without the use of his eyes, he could feel her glaring at him.

"How, exactly, am I supposed to answer _that_?" she demanded of him. "That felt _so_ good, so right, but... out of nowhere, after not seeing you for years?"

"I don't know! I'm just... I need to think and that's kind of difficult right now," Adrien gasped. "I am scared, and I am startled, and I am helpless, and a girl I was once in love with just found me and loved me and _blew my damned mind_."

Marinette's mood softened again as she heard the edge in his voice. "You could make those cuffs disappear right now and I still couldn't move a millimeter," he whimpered. "I feel _shattered_ right now."

"Adrien... I shouldn't have done what I did. I know that I shouldn't have," said Marinette, slowly.

" _You really should have_ ," Adrien insisted, loudly. "Look. I'm... I don't know how to say this, so I'm just going to say it and hope it comes out okay! This is... Ladybug, I've imagined you and I together a million times, in a million places. I can definitely say that _this_ wasn't how I'd ever pictured it."

"That makes two of us," agreed Marinette. _At least not in a filthy place like THIS,_ a tiny part of her brain argued.

"And I would _love_ to see you again under more normal circumstances. You said that you're not a one-night-stand kind of girl," argued Adrien, persuasively. "And I really don't want you to be, as far as I'm concerned."

His words rang in her ears. "Wait," she interjected. "A girl you were once _in_ _love with?_ "

* * *

"It's hard to explain," Adrien ventured. _Very hard to explain, actually; we had a whole past together that you never found out about,_ he thought to himself.

"Please, try!" Marinette insisted. "I... I don't know what to say to that."

"Ladybug... okay. You and I had our share of adventures together; you know that," Adrien began. "I wouldn't jump off a skyscraper for just _anyone."_

"Don't even remind me of that day," Marinette gasped. "When I saw you falling, I thought that my heart was going to burst."

"I... Ladybug, look. You amazed me from the first moment that we met. I always wanted to know you better, to get a chance to tell you how beautiful and brave and wonderful that I knew you were. We had a few moments where... um... I could have sworn that there was something between us, waiting to be said? I couldn't find the nerve or the right time to say it... as myself... and you never reached out to me like that, so... eventually, I figured that I was kidding myself about it being mutual."

"I spent years wondering about the girl _beneath_ the mask. What she would be like, what she'd look like, every little thing about her," Adrien managed. "You don't understand – you _couldn't_ understand what I mean, unless I... I can't say certain things. But I swear to you that it's true."

Her eyes widened as she saw tears begin to slip down beneath his blindfold. "And after all this time, after I lost you, after I lost what _connected_ me to you… when I'm at the most humiliating moment of my whole damned _life_... you found me, somehow, like a guardian angel. You cared for me, you _made love_ to me and told me that _you_ were crushing on _me_ back then, too. The biggest missed opportunity of my life, and I have no idea how to handle that. I have even less of an idea of how to let you slip away again."

"What was it that connected you to me, that you said that you lost?" wondered Marinette. "I mean, we knew each other, we had our moments together, like you said..."

"When we did that just now... when you decided to do what you did... that wasn't just a fling or an impulse. I felt real emotion pouring out of you," Adrien continued, bypassing her question. "Just like out of me. This wasn't just sex for either of us."

"Y-yes," Marinette stammered. "Yes, there was real emotion, and yes, I'm _shaking_ inside! But you're not answering me."

"And I couldn't feel more embarrassed about you finding me like this. But, Ladybug… I'm so glad that you did. And when we get away from this place, I _need_ to see you again."

" _Adrien_ ," Marinette insisted. "What is it that you were _talking about_ just now? What connection? I can just walk out of here if you won't tell me."

"…Can you?" begged Adrien.

"What?"

"I'm serious. Even if you didn't know me… would you leave someone like this? Cuffed to a bed and naked?" Adrien challenged her.

"Of _course_ I wouldn't," admitted Marinette. "Damn it."

* * *

_This is insane_ , thought Marinette. _I haven't seen this boy for two years. He's naked, blindfolded and handcuffed. And I still feel as helpless as I was on the day that we met._

"Adrien," she said, "Look. Just like you, I can only say so much. Yes, I knew you, years ago. The _real me_ knew you back then, too. I knew you very well! I was head over heels for you, and I could never bring myself to tell you properly. I was _scared,_ okay?"

Marinette watched as he focused intently on her words. "I loved you, Adrien. I dreamed about you loving me. And, believe me, to hear you say 'I was in love with you' _now..._ that isn't any more fun for me to hear than it was for you to say _,"_ she stammered. "Because if you loved me then, you loved the _other_ me, the costumed me. Not the coward who couldn't tell you her feelings."

"That's not true," Adrien insisted, weakly. "It isn't, is it?"

"I never gave you a reason to love the other me," Marinette whimpered. "Not enough of a reason, at least. Not enough to be more than your good friend. I could never say the words to you, not right to your face."

Abruptly, Adrien's body stiffened in a rather different way.

"Ladybug... I wasn't close with many people in those days. You do realize that you've got me wondering now, right?" gasped Adrien.

"Well, _stop_ wondering," Marinette ordered him. "I just said way too much."

 _My emotions are running as wild as his,_ she realized. _Where is this evening going to end?_

"How can I...?" argued Adrien. He paused, then said, "Ladybug... I need to ask you something."

"Go ahead," she sighed.

"I could probably get this blindfold off my eyes if I tried hard enough, and didn't mind a few scratches and bruises," Adrien said. "Leaning back against the headboard and wriggling it down or off. I haven't done that, because I want to respect your secret... But I haven't seen you with my own eyes in ages."

"You're asking if I'll take it off myself?" asked Marinette. "You know that I can't do that... not because I'm naked, but because I'm _me_ right now."

"Even after what we just did together?" asked Adrien. "I know that it's the biggest secret in Paris, but..."

"Here. I can do it this way."

He felt a soft hand caress his face, then reach for the blindfold... and just as it began to move, he heard the words "Spots on."

* * *

The place was unfamiliar... the state he was in was _certainly_ unfamiliar... but those green eyes were like lightning striking Ladybug's soul, as they always had been.

"H-hi," Adrien gasped, nervously.

"Hi th-there," Ladybug replied... then started laughing. "Oh, this is silly," she grinned. "After what we just did, I'm going to get shy _now?_ "

"Yeah... but it's a little different with eye contact, isn't it?" Adrien smiled.

"You're right, it is," she admitted. _And if you keep giving me that look,_ she quivered inside, _I won't be responsible for what I do next!_ Instead of blurting that out, she managed, "It's so good to see you again, Adrien."

"You, too. A little more of me than usual, of course," he quipped.

"If I had known that _this_ was what was underneath... maybe I would've found my courage back then," Ladybug replied, grinning again. "You're a feast for the eyes."

"And you are as beautiful as ever. And while I couldn't see you... my brain will be building that mental image of what just happened _forever,_ just from what I _felt,"_ declared Adrien.

"Careful! I didn't get dressed before I transformed. I could be naked again in two little words," teased Ladybug.

Adrien's jaw dropped. "That's... up to you," he stammered. "I wouldn't complain."

"Oh, stop. I'm curvier than I used to be, when you knew me before... we were so young then, and I was a rail," she smiled. "But I'm not, like, one of your models."

"You are the single most attractive woman I've ever known," Adrien stated. "That's a fact."

Ladybug glanced downwards. "You... do seem to find me rather inspiring," she noted.

Adrien blushed, looking embarrassed... but then steadied himself. "Of course I do," he told her. "Was that in doubt a few minutes ago?"

 _"Nnnnnno,_ it wasn't," Ladybug giggled. "But let me see if I can help that along."

She stood up and struck a pose for him, her hands moving up and down her costumed body very slowly. "But even covered up like this... you like what you see _that_ much?" she cooed.

Adrien was without words... but he _very_ clearly did.

She felt empowered, a thrill running all through her... _Adrien_ was watching her, wanting her, completely aroused by her... and even more than before, she felt playful and devious. The impulse surprised her once again... but not at all in a bad way.

"Well, look who's back," smiled Ladybug, glancing down.

"Uh-HUH!" gasped Adrien.

"Would you like some more... attention, Adrien?" she asked. "With the same you-can-stop-me-any-time as before?"

_"...Please."_

It was as if she'd asked a drowning man if he'd like an oxygen tank.

* * *

As she climbed onto the bed next to him, Adrien nudged his head towards the blindfold. "Are you going to put that back over my eyes?" he asked her.

"No, I'm not," she grinned. "And I can only do so much with the suit on... so certain parts of me will stay covered. But I have a funny feeling..."

Adrien quivered, feeling her hands seeking a familiar destination.

"...that I can still make you _scream,_ Adrien," Ladybug declared, looking intently at his face. "And _this_ time... I want to see your face, your gorgeous eyes when you do."

He appeared briefly unsure of himself. Her eyes were completely penetrating, and he couldn't have looked away from them if he'd tried.

"If you look away, or you close your eyes... I'll stop," she told him. "So if you want me to stop, you can do that, or you can say so. But I don't think you will," she grinned. "Because, this time... I want you to _see_ your Ladybug wanting you this much."

Her face leaned closer to his for a moment; if not for the handcuffs, he would have lunged forward and kissed her, passionately, and then far more. But he simply couldn't.

* * *

Adrien stared back at her, helplessly. He saw need and desire behind her eyes, a fierce and burning intensity driving what she was doing... with a slow and deliberate pace that threatened to drive him out of his mind.

But he also saw affection, compassion, a heartfelt joy...

Perhaps even love...

His every twitch and cry clearly delighting her, but also making her more determined to cause another and another...

...and before much longer, he was beyond all rational thought.

* * *

A satisfied Ladybug curled up once more next to Adrien, once her mission was undeniably complete.

 _Oh... my gosh,_ she exclaimed to herself. _I just did that. I just DID that with Adrien, with him watching me the whole time!_

 _And it felt really good to do,_ she grinned. _And for the right reasons._

_His eyes never left mine, no matter what I did... and he was so right; that made the moment SO much more intense! I could see the trust that he had in me... his surprise that I was doing what I did... and, obviously, that I did it well!_

_This wasn't about having power over him, or just to watch him writhe and shudder. I'm not the scared little girl that I used to be, so terrified of showing Adrien how I felt about him... how I STILL feel about him. I've matured quite a bit between then and now... and I'm a lot more certain now of what I want, and how to ask for it._

_I didn't NEED to demonstrate that to him, the way that I just did... and I would've stopped the instant that he showed regret._

_But I wanted to._

* * *

"Cat got your tongue?" Ladybug teased, mischievously, as she watched Adrien slowly regain his senses and his ability to speak.

"That's... an interesting... choice of phrase," he gasped.

 _She CAN'T know that I once was... can she?_ he worried.

"Well, I did get to be a cat _once_ ," she noted, still grinning from ear to ear. "Chat Noire and Mister Bug, on one very strange day a long time ago. Though no tongues were actually seized that day."

"I remember that! The long braid, all the way down to your ankles," smiled Adrien. "You were _sexy as hell_ that day."

"I wouldn't go _that_ far. I was a skinny little thing," she smiled back, "but thank you! And the braid was fun to have, but I was afraid some villain was going to yank on it and pull my head off. That's one reason why I never tried it again."

"Can I ask you something?" asked Adrien, and when she nodded approval, added, "Do you miss him?"

"Miss... who?" Ladybug replied.

"Chat Noir."

* * *

Ladybug paused, a bit startled that the subject had come up.

It wasn't much of a secret that Chat Noir hadn't been seen in a couple of years. She'd had other partners, found other people to fight by her side, but without Chat - without _her Kitty_ \- things just hadn't been the same since. Patrolling the city and helping wherever she could was still a responsibility that she took seriously, of course... but her heart just wasn't in it the same way.

"Sometimes," she admitted. "I don't... I just wish that I understood what happened to him."

Ladybug looked up at a still-shuddering Adrien. "You want to talk about this _now?_ " she asked him, incredulously.

"I'm... not capable of much else at the moment," he quivered. "And I'm curious."

"All I know," she explained, "is that one day, Carapace let me know that Chat had asked him to pass on a message; that Chat wanted to meet me on top of a certain building. I got there, and all I found an envelope with his Miraculous and a hand-written note in it. It said that he couldn't explain, but he just couldn't do this any more, how sorry he was..."

* * *

Adrien was silent as she spoke.

 _And I meant it that day,_ he thought. _I figured out that my father was far more deeply entwined with Hawkmoth than I'd imagined; he might have even BEEN Hawkmoth, but I wasn't sure yet. And I just couldn't... I couldn't HANDLE it. I couldn't imagine Ladybug face-to-face with him, my love and my father battling to the end..._

_I had to take care of it in my own way, to protect her. Father to son._

_And I did._

* * *

"No one else ever used that Miraculous?" he asked. "I don't remember seeing another Chat."

"It went back into the box. I don't know if it will ever come out again," sighed Ladybug. "It's incredibly powerful; it would be extremely dangerous in the wrong hands. And I never got a chance to convince Chat that it _wasn't_ in the wrong ones."

 _I wouldn't mind having it back at the moment,_ he considered. _As Chat, I could probably snap these handcuffs with one big flex... or just Cataclysm them. But Plagg might refuse the transformation on principle, after the way that we parted..._

"He didn't give me a chance to talk him out of it," Ladybug continued. "To tell him how much I needed him. How I _valued_ him. Not his powers... but _him_. My partner, my friend."

"He must have had a good reason," Adrien reasoned. "He wouldn't have just abandoned you out of the blue-"

"He did it _twice over,_ Adrien."

* * *

Adrien looked confused. "I'm sorry, what?" he asked.

"He used to come visit me sometimes. When I was... myself, not Ladybug. He was a friend of mine that way, too."

Suddenly, it wasn't just the handcuffs that left Adrien motionless.

"It was a difficult time in my life. But aren't teenage years like that for just about everybody?" sniffled Ladybug. "We used to talk about all kinds of things; helping each other through our problems, sharing jokes, just spending time together... it meant a lot to me that he chose to do that. If there was something about Ladybug that put him off, if I'd turned his roses down one too many times or something... that would have hurt, but I could've understood that. But he cut _me_ off, too. He just vanished, and I never even got to say goodbye."

It came crashing down on Adrien all at once.

_She's talking about... there was only one person that I used to visit like that..._

Dozens of rooftop rendezvous floated through his mind... thumping down onto her balcony at intervals and seeing a grinning girl emerge to meet him, with her alluring eyes and her flashing wit and her amazing capacity for compassion. The one girl... the one _person_ whom he had felt like he could truly be himself with as Chat Noir. Perhaps at all.

A girl who'd told him that she loved him once, a confession that had touched him deeply... but who'd shrugged it off as a panic response afterwards when he'd turned her down. Because he'd wanted to remain just friends; because he was _so sure_ that Ladybug would fall for him any day now.

Someone whom he hadn't intended to snub when he'd taken care of business with his father and subsequently vanished; he was hiding from the world, not from _her._ But he'd been so caught up in his own emotions and in his self-pity that he hadn't even considered that...

That...

Even if Marinette _had_ simply been his close friend, he had been thoughtlessly cruel to her without meaning to. But if she was secretly _Ladybug_ as well...!

_Good LORD... what have I DONE?_

* * *

Ladybug watched as Adrien's eyes welled up with tears again; she sat up to get a better look at him, wondering what had set him off. He closed his eyes tightly and turned his head away from her as best he could, given his immobilized predicament.

"Just leave me here," he muttered in a low voice.

"What?" Ladybug frowned. "Don't be ridiculous, Adrien. I'm not going to-"

" _Just LEAVE ME HERE,"_ he repeated, with emphasis. "I don't _deserve_ your help."

"Adrien Agreste..." she thundered in response. "I don't know what you could possibly mean by that, but _stop it!_ I wouldn't leave just _anyone_ stuck like this, but you are my _friend_. You always have been. You always will be. And I think I just showed you that you mean _so much more than that_ to me!"

She reached out with a gloved hand and brushed tears off of his cheek, holding her hand there until he turned and looked into her eyes once more.

"You are the _only person_ who could make me lower my defenses like this," she soothed. "To let my feelings run free, to share even a little bit of my other self with you. To make me _want_ someone that much, that I couldn't hold back."

Adrien stared back in silent awe.

"Don't get me wrong," she mused. "I'm not going off on a 'Ladybug is great and the real me's nothing' kick. Life hasn't turned out for me quite the way I'd hoped it would... but I'm still very proud of who I am and what I've become. Ever since Hawkmoth kind of... faded out, and Akumas stopped appearing... my Ladybug side hasn't been a big priority for me, because it's barely been needed. I mean, every once in a while, I'll still come across a strange man who's naked and tied to a bed and in need of release... in a _couple_ of ways..."

That got at least a small laugh out of him.

"...But I still have a huge wall between my two lives. Almost nobody knows them both. You are one of the few who have," smiled Ladybug, "and both sides of me have missed you very much, Adrien. You bring feelings out in me that no one else can. And it hurts me to see you put yourself down like that."

"I'm sorry," he half-sobbed. "I'm so sorry, Ladybug."

"For what?" she asked. "For falling out of touch with me after we graduated? Don't be. You're far from the only one who did. I can count the people from back then who are still in my Contacts list on one hand. And my Ladybug side... well, like I said, she wasn't really needed so much anymore, was she? So she kind of faded into the background, too, and she just didn't cross paths with you again."

 _She doesn't even realize that she's confirming what I know now,_ thought Adrien. _That the girl in front of me and I were in school together._

_Marinette, I've wasted so much time, so many chances with you... how can I repair what I've broken?_

* * *

"There is so much that I need to tell you," breathed Adrien. "But this isn't really the time or place."

"Yeah. One way or another, I need to get you out of here. Where are you living these days?" asked Ladybug.

"I have a small apartment on the east side," Adrien replied. "Nothing fancy."

"Hmmm," pondered Ladybug. "A far cry from the mansion of old."

"Yes. My family and I are... not speaking these days," sighed Adrien. "But, yes, if I can get my hands free, I could wrap myself up in this bedsheet, at least... then find somebody and borrow their phone and call my old bodyguard to get me. He's still a decent guy."

"I always liked him," smiled Ladybug. "He just seemed... real to me. What you saw was what you got with him."

She stood up. "Close your eyes for me," she instructed him. "I'm going to try something in a few seconds, and I don't want any little metal bits getting into them."

Once his eyes were closed, he heard a familiar cry of "LUCKY... CHARM!"

* * *

He heard the *thump* of an object falling into Ladybug's hands, and opened his eyes to see...

"Bolt cutters," she noted, approvingly. "I almost thought it was going to give me a poncho for you, or a red tracksuit or something like that. But this is more practical."

She stepped forward with them. "Close your eyes tight, and hold still," she told him. "I'm going to try to snap the chain in between."

"You only have five minutes now, right?" asked Adrien, turning away from the cutters.

"More like fifteen or twenty. I've been practicing," Ladybug told him. "But I'm hoping that it won't matter, if... _There!_ "

He heard a metallic snapping sound, and the pressure on his arms subsided in an instant. He lowered his arms to his sides, feeling the cuffs still encircling each wrist but without the chain connecting them.

"Whew! I was hoping that would work," smiled Ladybug. "I wouldn't have had a lot of options if it hadn't."

"And the people who did this aren't getting those handcuffs back," Adrien noted. "Good."

"Adrien... would you recognize them if you saw them again? The main ones, at least? The girl, her friends, the scumbags who invited you in the first place?" asked Ladybug, looking quite serious.

"I... uh... the girl, I'm sure I would? And I know the names of two of the others." He saw Ladybug's jaw clench and added, "...What are you planning on doing?"

"If you help me track them down... you might not want to know," Ladybug grimaced. "That wasn't just them playing a trick on you, Adrien... what they did goes way beyond that."

Adrien hesitated. "Let me... think on that," he ventured, "...on what to do next."

"You did nothing wrong tonight, Adrien. You understand that, right?" Ladybug insisted. "You were taken advantage of. That was _hideous_."

"Yeah, I know... and thank you for saying that, Ladybug. They stopped short of a lot of things that they _could_ have done... but for all I know, they pick a different victim every weekend. And if I said nothing and other people got humiliated like that, too... or worse... well, I couldn't live with that," Adrien shuddered. "I'll write down who and what I know, and we can figure out how to handle it together."

Ladybug sighed, "Well... at least now you can at least get out of this dump in one piece. You're sure that you can get home from here?"

"If you really do have fifteen minutes... I wouldn't mind a ride, for old time's sake," said Adrien, rubbing his hands and arms to get full feeling back into them and work out the cramps.

"You've already gotten a ride once tonight," Ladybug winked.

"One that I will never forget, but that is _not_ what I meant!" protested Adrien. "Plus, my apartment keys were kind of in my pants, and those are missing, so... if my sweet rescuer could force open a window, or something like that..."

"So we shouldn't spend thirteen of those fifteen minutes going for round three," she laughed. "Get the bedsheet ready, then, and-"

His arm reached out and turned her towards him, pulling her close.

* * *

"What I would _like_ to do," Adrien said, "is to go for round three the _right_ way, the way that I want to. Without your costume, with our eyes open and my hands free."

"You would?" Ladybug asked, softly.

"I want to show you how I truly feel about you, when I can express myself properly. I want to _see_ how beautiful you are when you're yourself and feeling free. To reconnect with you the right way... not in a hurry in some filthy party house, but in a warm, safe place where we can take our time and do it right."

Ladybug's knees went weak.

"I... would like that very much," she managed. "But I don't know how we could do that. I can't exactly tell you, 'this is Ladybug's address, come on over,' or my identity is toast. And while watching you squirm tonight _was_ a wonderful feeling... I don't want to blindfold you _every_ time."

"What if I _knew_ who you are?" asked Adrien.

_"...What?"_

Her eyes went huge as he continued. "What if I met with you out of costume, just two young people trying to find their place in the world, and we started with just getting a cup of coffee or something, and figured out where it might go from there?"

Adrien's eyes spoke volumes to her, and she shivered.

 _He... knows?_ she marveled. _Something that I just said or did gave me away?_

"I would _love_ to know how you'd know where to meet me, and whom you would meet," Ladybug murmured.

"One of many things that we'll want to talk about."

His warm smile reassured her that no matter what, this was someone from whom she had nothing to fear.

"Then let me get you home now," she told him. "And after you get inside, clean up, get the cuffs off your wrists and get some rest... _you come and find me_ , Adrien Agreste," she whispered in his ear. "And if you do... when you do... you'll find out what happens next."

"Sounds like a date," he grinned.

Adrien pulled the bedsheet off the bed and made a makeshift toga out of it, while Ladybug gathered up her discarded clothes and shoes. "Hold these, okay?" she asked him. "I need one arm for you and the other for my yo-yo."

"Sure, I can do that."

The two of them hurried downstairs. Adrien called out a direction, Ladybug scooped him up and hurled her yo-yo into the night, and for a few moments it was as if they were fourteen again, soaring over the rooftops of Paris.

* * *

"This is it, huh?" noted Ladybug, as they landed where Adrien had directed her. "Not bad."

"It's okay," Adrien replied. "I don't need all that much, and it's quiet around here."

Quickly, Ladybug tested a couple of the first-floor windows, and found one that she could force open. "I hope they won't bill you for the lock on that," she apologized. "But it was either that, bust the glass, or kick the door in, so..."

Her earrings beeped once more, reminding her of her time limit approaching. "I need to get out of here," she told him.

"Or you could come inside," he invited her. "And with two little words, we can pick up where we left off in a far more comfortable room... I promise you that I'm _far_ better at that when I can move."

Ladybug grinned at him. She imagined what might happen next if she did... but reasoned that she needed to recover as much as he did.

"Like I said... you go get cleaned up and get some rest. And if you're serious about what you said... I'll be waiting for you."

Adrien stepped forward and kissed her one more time, then handed her bundled street clothes back to her. "Then _you'd_ better get home and get some rest... because you're going to need it before long," he predicted. "I have some favors to return."

"Promises, promises," Ladybug giggled. "Good night, Adrien," she purred... then tossed her yo-yo and vanished into the night.

"Good night, Marinette," said Adrien, wistfully, once she was out of range. "My dream come true."

He turned and approached the open window. It was probably going to take him a week for his body to stop shaking...

...but that was a small price to pay for the emotions he was feeling. Excitement, anticipation, relief...

...and for the first time in a long while... hope.

* * *

~fin~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there. I expect that I have greatly pleased some of you, and shocked many others that your Painter of Fluff has dabbled in a Mature rating. This is not going to be a regular habit; a scenario floated through my head that simply needed to be recorded. Plus, with all the unrequited longings and cravings that Our Heroes have had throughout all of my stories, don't they deserve at least one aged-up release of tension?
> 
> If someone else wants to take the deliberately-left-open plot threads further, they're welcome to.
> 
> Enjoy!


	3. Diving In Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a reasonable interval of recovery time... Adrien knows that he cannot let this rest. So he does some minor detective work, takes a short trip, and before long he's standing outside Marinette's apartment door.
> 
> LADYBUG's apartment door.
> 
> And as soon as she opens it... she'll know for sure that he knows.
> 
> Once that's out of the way, it'll be time for the two of them to catch up on things... many things.

Delicate, Chapter 3

* * *

_There it is._

Adrien looked across a parking lot at the corner of a small apartment building. The window that had his attention had its shades drawn, but had a colorful glass suncatcher attached to it. On a sunny day, with the shades up, he imagined that it would add some pleasant ambiance to the room inside.

 _Just as Mrs. Cheng described it_ , he smiled. _So t_ _hat's Marinette's apartment!_

_The days when I could just... LITERALLY drop in to visit her were always nice. One telltale *TH-BMMP* and she'd come running, if she was in her room. Or those summer days when I could swing by and catch her tending to her plants, or sitting on her lounge chair and sketching, or even sunbathing once or twice..._

_Boy, the first time I caught her there in her bathing suit, she scampered downstairs in a hurry! But the next time, she just laid there in her little blue two-piece and waved. It was like she was daring me to react._

_I, uh, reacted... but I did my best to hide it,_ he grinned. _And she was kind enough to pretend that she didn't notice._

_And if I'd known that that was LADYBUG in just two small bits of fabric...!_

_But I can't do that_ _any more,_ Adrien knew. _I don't have the tools, and she doesn't have the rooftop balcony. If I'm going to do this, I'm going to have to do it like an adult... go up there, ring her doorbell or knock on her door, and stand there and wait for my life to change forever._

 _There's no doubt about it,_ he told himself. _The way that we parted on Saturday night..._

_I KNOW._

_And she knows that I know._

_And Ladybug told me..."Come and find me." So I can't just say "Oh, hi! I was back in town and I thought I'd look you up and say hello" to her..._

_Oh, no. If I knock on that door... she'll know exactly why I'm there, and so will I._

_Because Marinette Dupain-Cheng is Ladybug. And she turned the worst night of my life into one I'll never forget, for far better reasons. And I haven't been able to get a single second of it out of my mind ever since._

_I owe her a million thank-yous and a million kisses and a million explanations. But there's one explanation that I don't know how to give yet... the most important one of all._

_And that's what I owe her more than anything._

He watched as a light flicked on inside the room, making the shade illuminate slightly.

 _She's at home,_ he thought. _And I'm here._

_Do I do this?_

* * *

Marinette scurried back and forth, tidying up her apartment in what she hoped wasn't an obviously frantic pace.

"You've done up your living room four times today," a small voice noted. "And that's just since you got home."

"I don't get guests very often, Tikki," said Marinette. "Especially one like this."

"You don't know for sure that _this one_ is coming," Tikki mused. "And, no, that is not a reference to anything in particular."

As Marinette glared at her, Tikki fluttered from one side of the bedroom to the other. "I am not judging you! I've told you that," Tikki insisted, cheerfully. "As insane as that situation was... I can't blame you one little bit for reacting the way that you did. That night was years in the making."

"You'd better not," Marinette grumbled. "I mean... I didn't mean to make you _part of it_ , so to speak. When I was Ladybug, you kind of had a front-row seat."

"Not a problem," shrugged Tikki. "You think that I haven't seen every combination and position that are humanly possible, over the last few millennia alone?"

"I am not going to ask you for tips," mumbled Marinette.

"I'd rather that you didn't," chuckled Tikki. "But you certainly looked like you knew what you were doing already."

"I know a little," grinned Marinette, grudgingly, "and I can guess the rest."

She studied her sofa, debating if the pillows were spaced the way that she wanted them after yet another adjustment. "But the suspense is killing me!" she declared. "Does he know, or doesn't he?"

"I'm trying to think of what the proper custom is," deadpanned Tikki. "It used to be 'wait three days after a date' before calling on a young lady. What's the proper waiting period after she's been sitting on his-"

" _Tikki!"_

Marinette stormed into the bedroom, pointing an accusing finger at her giggling Kwami. "Now, _I wasn't Ladybug_ when that happened! So if you saw that, that's your _own_ doing!"

"Maybe I was a _little_ curious," Tikki laughed.

"He had _no complaints,_ " insisted Marinette, choking down a laugh of her own. "And that's not the point!" she continued, looking more worried. "I messed up, Tikki, and I know it. If I'd done all of that as _me_ and left Ladybug out of it..."

"Then he'd still be in that room, because how would you have gotten him loose? Or you would've had to have called the police, and then he would've been ten times more embarrassed and probably trending on Twitter within the hour," argued Tikki. "We talked about this. If he knows..."

A knock at the front door made Marinette jump.

"Well... maybe it's time to find out what he knows," smiled Tikki. "Good luck!"

As Marinette walked across the apartment, Tikki's smile faded a bit. _I know precisely what he knows,_ she thought, _and why he knows... and some things that he hasn't told you yet._

_And if he doesn't talk with you about it soon... he and I will be talking._

* * *

The door opened to a young man with his hands behind his back. To Marinette's relief, he looked just as nervous as she knew she was.

"H-hello, Marinette," Adrien said. "I'm so happy to see you."

"Hello, Adrien," Marinette greeted him. "Please, come in."

He entered, with Marinette closing and locking the door behind him, then turning back to face him.

"These are for you," said Adrien, producing a small bouquet.

"Oh... you didn't have to!" beamed Marinette, her face giving away how much she enjoyed that he had.

"They're grocery roses... nothing all that fancy..." Adrien admitted, "but I didn't want to come empty-handed."

"You _found me_. That's enough in and of itself," she smiled. "In fact..."

"...I did. I found you," said Adrien. "Just like you told me to."

"Like _Ladybug_ told you to, you mean," Marinette parried.

"Like _you_ told me to, Marinette."

He stepped closer to her. "I'll use whichever name you'd prefer," he told her, very softly. "But it's _you_ that I came to see."

 _What I want you to call me, Adrien..._ thought Marinette... _is yours._

Without a word, she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. The bouquet landed on a nearby chair as he did the same.

* * *

Adrien felt Marinette's breathing go irregular, as if she was holding back sobs, and he rubbed his hands over her back reassuringly.

"I am s-so glad..." she whispered, "that if anyone had to know... that it's _you,_ Adrien. In all these years... you're the _only one."_

"You _know_ that I will keep that secret forever," promised Adrien. "I would rather throw everything I have away, than to hurt you."

"I know, Adrien. I know you'd never do that."

* * *

"Okay! So... come in, get comfortable," Marinette invited him, once she could bear to break their embrace.

Adrien kicked his shoes off, seeing that Marinette had done the same, and entered her living room. The sofa looked inviting, with room for two if she chose to join him, so he sat there.

"Can I get you something? Glass of wine? Wait, you told me that you don't drink. Water, juice, I can put the teakettle on?" asked Marinette.

"I'm fine for now, but thank you. Get yourself whatever you like."

"Maybe later, then. Wouldn't want to be a poor hostess," she smiled, as she approached the sofa. "So, I have to ask... well, I have about fifty things that I have to ask."

"I'm in no hurry, and I have lots of questions of my own," Adrien replied. "You first, though."

"How did you find where I lived?" asked Marinette.

"Pretty easily, actually. I knew that your parents' bakery wasn't open on Sunday... so I spent yesterday recovering from a _very_ magical night," Adrien explained. "By the way, you have _no idea_ how hard it is to ask your landlord 'Say, do you know where I could get my hands on a handcuff key?'"

Marinette burst out laughing. "That's right! I didn't think the bolt cutters would go through those, and I was afraid that I would hurt you if I tried. Could he help you?" she wondered. "I see that your wrists look much more comfortable now."

"He did. Apparently, he's had to rescue tenants from somewhat... similarly kinky situations more than once, so he tries to be prepared. He didn't ask questions about where the chain in the middle went."

"Okay. So, free at last... then what?" smiled Marinette.

"I went by the bakery this morning. Your mother remembered me right away, which was a nice surprise," Adrien continued. "I told her that I was back in town, and I was dying to see you again, and could she possibly tell me how to find you these days?"

 _"...Are_ you back in town?" interrupted Marinette, perceptively. "I saw your apartment, of course. Did you have some other stops between your old house and there?"

"I... did," Adrien allowed. _She still doesn't miss a thing,_ he grinned to himself. "But that's a long story, and I want to finish your first question... She gave me your address, and told me that you had a pretty glass ornament on your window, so I'd know which one it was. I got my nerve up, got in my car, picked up some flowers..."

"Got your _nerve_ up?" laughed Marinette. She gestured at her slim frame. "Am I so fearsome?"

"You _have to be kidding me,_ " Adrien laughed back. "Leaving aside that I'd be facing the woman who found me in the most embarrassing state ever... you are the most passionate, the most amazing person I have ever known. The _last_ person that I'd ever want to cross. And that's _before_ I learned your little secret."

"Pffft," Marinette scoffed, waving her hand. "I'm a part-time student who designs clothes. That's about all, lately."

"Where are you designing these days?" asked Adrien, brightly. "With your talent, I can only imagine the offers lining up..."

"I wish," muttered Marinette.

* * *

She flopped back against the sofa cushions, looking a bit less enthusiastic.

"I like to think that I still have that talent," Marinette said, "but opportunities are a bit harder to come by these days. Especially when pieces are missing on your resume."

"Do tell," probed Adrien.

"I got through half a semester of university," she explained, "before my father had something of a health crisis. He's pretty much okay now, don't worry," she reassured Adrien when she saw the alarm rising on his face. "He's on the right medications and things are fine. But I dropped out to help take care of him and to help Mama run the bakery, and I've had one foot in that world ever since. The big design houses aren't as interested in someone whose attentions are divided like that."

Adrien frowned. "I get that," he agreed. "Father used to bring in interns from complicated circumstances once in a while, but for the most part... it was always 'the best and the brightest,' he'd say, and that meant top-notch credentials."

"Yup," confirmed Marinette. "So, I'm still taking a light schedule, a class or two each semester... trying to keep my skills up as I have time. But I need to pay the bills, too, so..."

She named a familiar mass-market clothing house, one far more synonymous with working-class attire than high fashion. "I'm part of their design staff," she sighed. "It's nothing fancy, and I don't really get to use a lot of creativity... more like debating 'should we add a button to the collars this year, or leave them as-is? Should the jeans for young girls have rhinestone stars or hearts on the pockets?' Exciting stuff, I know."

Her eyes flashed. "But I _did_ get one of my designs on an Agreste runway once. That's more than most designers can say," she grinned. " _And_ the most handsome model ever to show it off."

"Indeed, you did," Adrien agreed. "The first part, at least! I would put in a word with my father, but, well..."

"I didn't ask you to then. I wouldn't ask you now," Marinette insisted. "I appreciate the offer, but I wouldn't want to make waves. I still throw my resume and my portfolio around, I keep up with my Instagram posts, I'm still drawing and designing in my spare time... what little I have, anyway. Something will turn up, I'm sure. It's best to stay positive."

Abruptly, something small brushed against Adrien's ankle, making him jump slightly.

* * *

"Well, hello! Look who decided to join the party," Marinette exclaimed.

Adrien looked down and saw a small white bundle of fluff looking up at him with bright eyes. He made to reach for it, then turned to Marinette. "Is it... okay if I..." he asked.

"Oh, yes. That's Audrey. She's a little purr machine, and she won't hurt you," Marinette confirmed. "She's _usually_ a little shy around strangers; I guess that she's a good judge of character tonight!"

As his hand lifted Audrey, she sniffed at his fingers, somewhat suspiciously... tilted her head, coming to a decision... then nestled into a ball in his lap, purring loudly and appearing most content.

"Wow!" Marinette boggled. "So much for shy! I've never seen her do that with anyone but me."

"I, um..." Adrien stammered, "...suppose that I've always been kind of a cat person."

* * *

"So, that's my tale of woe. How about you, Adrien?" asked Marinette, eagerly. "Since you're not going anywhere for a while... what have you been up to? You just... dropped out of sight, all at once; I even tried contacting your father to find out where you'd gone, but your secretary... Nathalie, wasn't it? brushed me off _very_ rudely, so I wrote that line of inquiry off."

"I'm not surprised," replied Adrien, a bit darkly.

"Adrien... I don't have to know about you and your father if you don't want to talk about it," Marinette insisted. "If it's personal, if it still stings, don't feel compelled."

Adrien looked across at her, somewhat helplessly.

 _I have to tell you sooner or later,_ he reasoned. _Why I got cut off without a cent from the family fortune, besides the little money of my own that I'd put aside. Why Father no longer returns my calls. Why I spent six months on the run, staying out of everyone's radar, and how I'm only just now piecing my life back together._

_And what I found when I confronted Father... and why your partner fled like a coward, deserting you without a word._

"It's... complicated," he evaded. "I will tell you... I _want to_ tell you... but I'd rather not spoil the mood tonight." The smile flashed across his face once more. "I'm sitting here, looking at the most beautiful face in all of Paris..."

"Who's snoring in your lap..." parried Marinette.

"Hah!" snorted Adrien, muffling it so as not to startle Audrey. For her part, Audrey didn't seem to mind, rolling over in Adrien's lap with her belly presented for petting.

"I can assure you," flirted Adrien, "that as adorable as Audrey is... _you_ are the face in my dreams at night. With _and_ without your mask. Someone I was in love with for so long... and another someone I was in love with all along, but never fully let myself admit it."

Marinette looked away momentarily, unsure of herself. "You can say that now..." she ventured, "now that you know..."

"I can say that now because it's true, Marinette," Adrien persisted. "You remember what we were like back then, don't you? I had Ladybug on the brain; I'll _completely_ admit that... but you were always very special to me. Remember 'my everyday Ladybug?'"

"Remember the kiss I gave you in response?" smiled Marinette.

"My cheek still tingles when it rains," Adrien blushed. "There were so many times that I wanted to reach out, to see if I could change your mind about not being interested in me that way..."

"I can't _believe_ that I told you that," mumbled Marinette. "Twice, even! When I get scared, sometimes I start to babble. I was cutting my own throat with that." She leaned forward once more. "You were always _the one_ for me, Adrien. No one else could compare. And I'd get close to you and my mind would get scrambled up."

"If I had known that then," said Adrien, "our lives might be very different right now."

Marinette smiled... but said nothing.

* * *

"One more question," she ventured, eventually. "What did I say that let you figure out my secret?"

 _I knew this was coming,_ Adrien thought. _If I don't want to drop the Chat bomb on her right here and now... plan B?_

"I never had a lot of friends my own age, Marinette. Much less female friends. We all know about _one_ that was kind of forced upon me..." he began.

"Oh, yes. I hadn't thought about her in years. Where did she end up, do you know?" wondered Marinette.

"I heard that she married some young law student, and she's expecting her first kid," Adrien noted. "I haven't talked to her in years, but that's what I saw online about a month ago. I hope that it works out for her; maybe she can be the mother that she'd always wanted for herself, for her own child."

"Wow," an amazed Marinette replied, trying to picture what she'd just heard. "But, anyway..."

"Marinette... you told me that you knew me back in school, that you loved me, but that you couldn't tell me to my face. And I flashed back to that day at your locker, that day in the museum, a million other times that we were close and I could have _sworn_ that something was in the air... and it came together. Ladybug was in that room to rescue me... among other things... but Marinette Dupain-Cheng was the only person who could've been telling me that."

Marinette nodded, slowly. "That would do it," she confirmed. "I knew that I'd slipped as soon as I admitted that."

"I couldn't believe my ears at first... but then it all made sense. I'd loved one girl from afar, I'd loved another up close and _I_ never said so. The two of them being the same amazing girl... well, all of a sudden, the pieces all fit."

"And then, when you were tearing up, a little while later?" asked Marinette.

"It was all sinking in. All the possibilities that I'd let slip through my fingers, by being stupid and unobservant. How much I'd hurt you when I disappeared."

 _Hang on,_ wondered Marinette. _I missed you quite a bit when you dropped out of sight, Adrien, but..._

"Marinette, I can't say that I've made a lot of good choices the last few years. Some worse than others," Adrien persisted, distracting her from that thought. "But going on without you in my life... that was my worst one ever. I can't ask you for forgiveness... and I'll have more to say. But I do want to know if we can start over."

Marinette read his face and his voice carefully, judging his sincerity, then stood up.

"Tell you what. Let me show you around the rest of the apartment first... and we'll figure that out then," she smiled, holding her hand out to him.

Carefully, Adrien transferred the snoozing Audrey to the sofa cushion, then rose to follow Marinette.

* * *

"I turned this room into a little studio for myself," Marinette said, indicating a small room off the main hallway. "I do most of my drawing in here, sketches and drafts for work, my own little designs..."

Adrien looked in and saw a desk covered in papers, pencils and an overhead lamp. A dressmaker's mannequin was in the opposite corner, a laptop computer was closed on a small table, and Adrien was amused to see her old Jagged Stone poster on a side wall.

"Rock and roll," Adrien declared, doing a quick air-guitar pose.

"Jagged was always so good to me," smiled Marinette. "And that's a little reminder to myself, to not take myself too seriously all the time."

The pair continued the grand tour. "Bathroom, for when you need it," Marinette gestured. "Kitchen, with the bare minimum required by law."

"No grand baking endeavors in progress?" asked Adrien, lightly.

"I wish," sighed Marinette. "Papa's always after me to keep up at that, but look in there. Does it look like I have any room to do anything substantial?"

"I have seen larger clothes closets," confirmed Adrien.

"I can open the fridge without the door hitting the microwave. That's about it," she giggled. "If I tried whipping out the rolling pin, I'd probably take out the overhead light in the process. Every so often, Papa brings over a stand mixer or something like that when he visits, and I keep telling him that I don't know where I'd put it."

"Can _he_ even fit in your kitchen?" Adrien marveled, giving it a second look. "That is _really_ tiny."

"He can, but not by much. He's lost a little weight, but not enough that you'd notice if you weren't around him all the time," Marinette explained.

She turned and looked back at him, then smiled. "C'mon," she said, giving his hand a squeeze. "There's one more room that I really want you to see."

* * *

Adrien followed Marinette's lead, her hand pulling his gently, as they entered her bedroom. "This," she smiled, "is where the magic happens."

As Adrien looked at her hopefully, she added, "I mean, _literally_. I have a millions-of-years-old magical being that sleeps in this room with me."

"I do hope that you mean your Kwami."

" _Yes,_ I mean Tikki," laughed Marinette, rolling her eyes. "She's keeping a low profile today, it seems. I could call her if I needed her... but right now, I need you more." She faced Adrien and added, "And I think that she got enough of an eyeful on Saturday night."

Adrien got wide-eyed. "That's right," he realized. "Where you go, she goes, so she... she saw _all_ of that?"

"All of you," grinned Marinette. "And all of me with all of you. She wasn't too scandalized, don't worry, though I've heard a few jokes from her since."

"And I'll bet that I'll hear a few, myself." Adrien looked embarrassed, but added, good-naturedly, "Which I deserve."

There was a pause for a few seconds, as two sets of soft eyes met.

"Adrien," asked Marinette, in a gentle voice, "do you have anywhere else that you need to be tonight?"

"I do not," he replied. "I need to go to work in the morning, but nothing until then."

"Same here," Marinette noted. "I just wanted to make sure of that, because..."

"Because what?" asked Adrien, stepping close.

"Because I don't want to let you go home tonight."

She leaned upwards, kissing him lightly... one of many kisses that followed, gentle and lingering.

* * *

When the kisses began to intensify, Marinette turned around slowly, pulling Adrien's arms around her. His hands rested gently around her waist, sliding under her blouse but not venturing up or down yet.

"Adrien," she said, very quietly, "about the other night. I don't want you to have the wrong idea about me."

"About what?" Adrien asked.

"That... how that was, how that happened, what I did... I _really_ enjoyed it, okay? And I would do it again," Marinette told him. "But I'm not the kind of girl who... _needs_ those kind of situations. Blindfolds and handcuffs and... you know."

"I hadn't been planning on that, either," smiled Adrien. "It just sort of... happened like that. When you figured, hey, let's roll with it... I was completely startled. _Very_ happy, I'll confess... but I'd never done anything like that before."

"It was a lot of fun! And we can play like that again sometime... and maybe someday... we could try playing like that... the other way," she ventured, choosing her words carefully. "With me as the one who's... you know. Maybe."

Adrien nodded. "If that's something that you'd enjoy... absolutely," he said.

"But tonight, I don't want this to be about who's in charge, or about teasing or control. I want what happens to just be... _us._ Finding out together what that word means. Do you get what I mean, Adrien?"

Looking back at him, she forced a smile onto her face, but her eyes spoke volumes about the vulnerability she was feeling at that moment.

"I do," Adrien whispered, kissing her neck gently. "Very much. Saturday night was like the most wonderful, crazy fantasy that came to life for us, a dream that we both shared, somehow... but I'm not holding and kissing Ladybug right now. I'm with my _Marinette."_

He squeezed her tightly and added, "This is for _real._ "

"Good."

Her hands guided his to the bottom edge of her blouse, and he slowly lifted it up and off of her. She turned to face him once more, sinking into his arms, and then the time for talking was over.

* * *

Not long afterwards, the two of them fully entwined, Adrien looked down at Marinette tenderly. Her eyes were wet with a handful of tears, and he felt her trembling beneath him.

"Are you all right?" he asked. "Am I doing something... is anything hurting?"

"N-no," she stammered. "Everything is... it's _perfect,_ Adrien. It's just... I'm overwhelmed. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," he smiled. "I know exactly what you mean. I'm barely holding myself together."

"I'm... I'm kind of _right on the edge_ already," she whimpered. " _So_ close."

"Really? I've barely even-"

"It's... it's _you_. It's that it's _you,_ " Marinette said, her eyes locked on his. "That this is _happening."_

"Mmmm," Adrien grinned. "So... if I were to do... _this?"_

A loud gasp was heard, Marinette's eyes went huge, and Adrien held still once more.

 _"Not yet,_ " she breathed. "Not like... _please._ Go slow. Slow and gentle. As gently as you can."

"Like this, then."

"Oh... oh, _God_ , yes. Just hold me. Move with me. _Be_ with me," sighed Marinette. "Just like that. I don't want this moment to end."

"I don't, either," grunted Adrien. "This is incredible... Marinette..."

"When I need you... to go hard and fast... you'll know it," she smiled up at him. "And when that happens... _don't ever stop."_

 _"_ I won't."

* * *

And when he knew... he didn't.


	4. Cattus Interruptus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *TH-BMMP!*
> 
> A sound that launched a thousand MariChat ships back in the day. Well, this time, Adrien is in Marinette's bedroom but there's no Cat MIraculous involved... but feline investigation is still very much of a thing.
> 
> Our lovebirds continue to get reacquainted with each other... physically and otherwise. As they part, with considerable fondness between them and plans to get together again soon, each seeks out a little advice on the situation; Marinette with some of her friends, and Adrien with... someone else.

Delicate, Chapter 4

* * *

_*th-bmmp!*_

The sound of a certain cat approaching Marinette's sleeping quarters and landing with a thud was something that she had become quite accustomed to over the years. The sound represented many things to her - companionship, friendship, emotional bonds, a little bit of healing, perhaps even some flirting now and then - but it was always a welcome sound when she'd lived with her parents.

On this particular instance, in the dead of night in her apartment, the same sound was heard... but with a much lighter echo, befitting a much lighter cat.

* * *

Four tiny white feet landed on Marinette's comforter, as Audrey finally managed to make her way into her owner's bedroom. She had been most concerned by the sounds she heard through the closed door; _was Mama's friend playing with Mama too hard? Was he HURTING Mama? Mama was making a bunch of funny noises..._

Having failed to claw her way through the bottom of the door, and thus unable to protect her Mama-Marinette, she had retreated warily, watching for her opportunity. Marinette's getting up and visiting the hall bathroom provided that, as she left the door open a crack when she returned. So, tiny paws had pushed and shoved, and a head had bonked against a solid door a few times; the carpet was sufficiently thick that the door didn't want to budge at first without significant force.

But, finally, the door shifted far enough that Audrey could make her grand entrance and survey the environment properly.

The first thing that Audrey noticed when she made her mighty leap up onto Mama's bed was that it was _crowded!_ She saw one familiar foot sticking out from under the covers... but not one, but _three_ blanket monsters still underneath them. Perplexed by this, Audrey prepared for action, crouching down and wiggling her butt slightly to ensure a proper pouncing stance.

One of the lumps under the covers moved, ever so slightly... and the hunt was on.

_Whap! Bap! Rawr!_

Her fierce onslaught, attempting to batter and chew the closest undercover bump into submission, responded in only a small shifting of weight and a grunting sound from the head of the bed.

This drew Audrey's attention; that was _not_ Mama's voice, she knew, and she examined the terrain in that direction. She tried to walk up the mattress to investigate, but her path was blocked, as the bed was more crowded than Audrey had ever seen it before! Undaunted, she jumped up onto the larger lump and walked up it carefully, balancing herself on the somewhat uneven terrain.

As she approached the pillows at the head of the bed, she paused and studied the scene carefully. Clearly, Mama was where she should be, and sleeping soundly... but so was Mama's new friend! She was _standing_ on Mama's friend!

Audrey grumbled a bit at that. Nobody was supposed to sleep with Mama but _Audrey!_

Her sensitive nose wrinkled slightly, as she processed still more new information. There were definitely signs that there had been romping and playing, making Audrey feel a little bit left out. She picked up aromas of perspiration, of the soaps that Mama liked to use in her shower, and... other things?

Audrey reared up, not sure what some of the new smells were all about. They weren't unpleasant, necessarily... just new to her.

One thing was for sure; Mama and her friend smelled a little more like each other now.

The kitten's tiny brain pondered this for a moment, then came to the obvious conclusion.

_Mama and her friend must've had a good wrestle! Then they gave each other a bath! Then they took a nap together!_

Wrestling, grooming, and napping... those were three of any self-respecting kitten's top priorities, after all.

Mr. Friend was still in Audrey's spot... and if he didn't get up, how was she supposed to jump in and claim the warm spot where he'd been? Audrey glared at him, pawing his shoulder gently to see if she could make him move and reclaim her territory. He didn't budge.

But as she surveyed him, she judged that the new person was indeed no threat to Mama. He was snuggled up against her, his arm over her, protecting her and keeping her warm. She was holding onto his arm, as if she wanted it there. And she had a smile on her sleeping face... and Audrey knew what that meant.

Mama was happy with her new Mr. Friend, enough to make a snuggle pile with him.

And that was good enough for Audrey.

* * *

Around five-thirty, the alarm clock across from Marinette buzzed. She reached over and gave it a good whack, shutting it off... then retreated immediately to her original position, pulling Adrien's arm around her once again.

 _I could stay here for the next year or two, just like this! But if I don't move,_ she groaned, _I'll end up late for work, and so will Adrien! He said that he had work in the morning, too..._

_But I'll give him a better wake-up than my alarm clock ever could._

Marinette rolled in place, so that she was still in Adrien's arms but now facing him, intending on a morning snugglefest... and let out a little gasp of delight.

"Hmmrph?" Adrien grunted, half-muffled by his face in the pillow. One eye opened partway, then the other.

"Adrien Agreste," marveled Marinette in a whispered voice, " _you_ have a _buddy_."

"I do?" he mumbled... then realized that his head felt warmer than usual. Audrey had stretched out on the pillow behind Adrien's head, her back pressed up against him, her front paws folded up in front of her. One of her ears twitched slightly, as if a sixth sense was telling her that Mama was talking about her.

"Oh!" Adrien gasped, reacting with some surprise. "Okay... let me be careful, here... I don't want to move the wrong way and send her flying."

"Oh, my gosh," giggled Marinette. "She sleeps by my feet most nights... but you were here with me, so she did the best she could. It's like she just wanted to be close to you!"

"She is _adorable_ and she _knows she is!_ " declared Adrien in a light sing-song voice, reaching up to pet her gently without dislodging her.

Audrey rolled her head over and glanced at the humans, as if to say, _Yes, I know I'm adorable. You're okay, Mr. Friend,_ then rolled back and stretched her paws out, lazily.

* * *

With awakeness established, Marinette leaned in close and kissed Adrien, softly. "Good morning, Adrien," she beamed.

"The best morning ever," breathed Adrien. "Perhaps not for what time it is, but..."

"I know," Marinette sighed. "I tend to set my clock early so that I have plenty of time to get ready for work. I hate it when I run in looking like I did my makeup in the car, and had my hair out the window."

"So you don't need to be anywhere right this minute?" asked Adrien.

"I don't if you don't," she answered.

"Good."

He swept her up into a closer embrace, their kisses lengthening.

"Though... What time do _you_ need to be where you're going, Adrien?" wondered Marinette. "Before we get _too_ distracted."

"Around nine. So I have plenty of time to go home, shower and change..."

"Or you could shower here," winked Marinette. "The change part, I don't have a whole lot of men's clothes here. How do you look in pastels?"

"I'm not going anywhere yet," smiled Adrien, squeezing her tightly. "And neither are you. Waking up next to you like this is _heavenly."_

"I'm not complaining, either," Marinette replied, wriggling around into the spoons position once more and clasping his arms with her hands. "I mean, I'm sure that you've woken up next to a supermodel or two in your day..."

"Um... no, I haven't?" Adrien replied, slowly. "This is the first time I've _ever_ spent the night like this with anyone."

"Wait, _what?"_

* * *

Marinette tilted her head back in Adrien's direction. "You've... I _know_ you're not _that_ innocent, Adrien. But you've never stayed over with anyone before?"

He shook his head. "Kagami and I managed to sneak away and experiment a few times... three or four... but you know how our parents were back then, so they were basically quickies when we could find half an hour to ourselves. That's as far as we ever got with that. There was the mother of one of the couture models at Agreste... she pulled me aside and let me know that she wanted something extra from her daughter's photoshoot, so..."

"...Whoa!" marveled Marinette, a bit startled. "And you went along with it?"

"She was attractive, and nice, and _very_ persuasive," blushed Adrien. "But that was only a handful of sneak-aways, too, and I got the feeling very quickly that I was being used, so I broke that off. And one time, at a party, there was a girl who didn't seem to recognize me. Not the redhead who set me up the other night; someone else. We went to a back room, we did it, and it felt good... but I was like 'Is this it?' in my head the whole time. No emotion, there was nothing... _there._ "

"Now that, I understand," Marinette smiled. "Remember how I was like, oh my _God_ , you've barely even started and I'm _right there_ already?"

Adrien nodded.

"If I have a real emotional connection with someone that I'm with... that makes all the difference in the world," breathed Marinette. "Like a waterfall compared to a clogged shower-head. It just multiplies every sensation, every feeling _so much_... which is another reason that I'm not a casual-fling kind of girl."

"Thank goodness," grinned Adrien. "Because that's not what I'm looking for, either."

"And another reason why you've had me squealing so much," she giggled back.

"Mmmm," Adrien murmured happily. "Maybe I should hear that again. Just to compare it to last night's."

"Adrien," Marinette replied, wriggling a bit but not trying as hard as she could've to escape his grasp. "If I _do_ , I'll be rushed getting ready for work."

"Uh-huh," said Adrien. "But I do notice that you're wiggling something up against me, too."

"Oh, this?" grinned Marinette, rotating her hips in slow circles. "You felt that?"

"Do you feel _that?"_ countered Adrien. "That should answer your question."

"Oh! It... certainly does."

"So, there's the question," Adrien smiled, edging a little closer to the correct alignment. "Just how do you want to spend the next half hour or so?"

The bulge of the comforter where Marinette was laying became higher, as she lifted her top leg a bit and braced herself gently.

"That... should answer _your_ question."

* * *

With a breathy moan, Marinette sank further into Adrien's embrace and let go any thoughts of getting to work early. Their shared rhythm was very slow and deliberate, more about simple intimacy than acrobatics. As if confirming their earlier statements about emotional connections... their intensity level took care of itself without heavy exertion.

"Oh... oh... _ohhhhh_..." Marinette panted, quickly feeling herself becoming overwhelmed again. "Don't hold back... for me... Adrien," she gasped. "When you do... I will. I _know_ I will."

"Just like... this, then," answered Adrien. "Nice and easy. Until neither of us can stand it any longer."

She grunted her approval. "You're _wicked,_ " she told him. "And I like that."

The pace quickened ever so slightly, rocking the bed a little more.

"Adrien... oh, God, Adrien... please... I need - _wauuuugh!"_

That last sound was not one Adrien had been prepared to hear. "What happened?" he asked, worriedly.

" _Audrey!_ " barked Marinette, cracking up. "Adrien... she'd walked around and was watching my face. I guess the noises that I was making had her wondering... She just licked me on the _nose!"_ she giggled.

"Hah! Just a little distracting," laughed Adrien. "You okay?"

"Yes. _Keep going."_

He did as he was told... for a minute, anyway. Audrey hopped up on Marinette's hip and started whapping her front paws at the motion beneath the covers, clearly confused by what she was witnessing. To her, it was as if the biggest blanket monster _ever_ needed to be subdued!

Adrien could not stop laughing, and soon, neither could Marinette. "Could you... take her out into the hall?" asked Marinette, trying to hold it together.

"Sure."

Adrien stood up, collected Audrey in both hands and carried her towards the room door. Marinette, watching him, burst out into wild laughter.

"Now what?" grinned Adrien.

"Just... _you_... and her... and you, all _dangling out_ like that... that looks _so wrong_ ," cackled Marinette. " _There's_ a mental image that'll get me through my day!"

Adrien deposited Audrey onto the hall carpet; she looked up at him with confusion, then trod off in a bit of a huff as he closed the door. He stopped as he approached the bed once more, then reached over for some tissues from the end table.

"What is it?" asked Marinette.

"A little cat fur on my fingers," grimaced Adrien. He waved his slightly fuzzy hand at her in a groping motion, then leered, "All right... are you _ready for more?_ "

He watched Marinette's reaction to that... and then he, too, collapsed down onto the bed in laughter.

They lay next to each other, breathing hard, each grinning from ear to ear.

* * *

"Are you still..." asked Marinette.

"I don't know. That whole thing with Audrey kind of... took me out of it," Adrien apologized, still laughing. "I'm sorry..."

"Me, too. Don't worry about it at all. That... I can say that _that's_ never happened with her before," giggled Marinette. "Of course, you're the only man I've ever had spend the night here, since I got her..."

At Adrien's glance, she added, "She's about six months old. She was two months when I got her. And I told you the other night... dry spell. It's been maybe eight, nine months since I was seeing anyone seriously."

"I was wondering about that," Adrien noted. When Marinette paused for him to continue, he explained, "Well, this is a standard French single, isn't it?" as he gestured to her bed. "Cozy for two, but built mainly for one person. Not something you would have if you'd been with someone when you moved in here."

"Very true," replied Marinette. "The bed was in my parents' guest room, so... it was free, and I didn't complain. Not exactly a swinging bachelorette's pad, with men flying in and out all weekend long, is it?"

"Well, I wouldn't have expected that from you, from what I remembered about you," smiled Adrien. "You seemed to set your heart on one target at a time."

"And it only took me, what, five years and the most insane luck _ever_ to finally hit the bull's-eye?" she answered, happily.

"Well... you _are_ the luckiest hero of them all."

Marinette smiled warmly at that... then hopped up from the bed. "Let's see about that," she said. "If I'm _really_ lucky... a handsome young man will come wash my back for me."

As she strode off towards her bathroom, Adrien admired the view. "You don't need a Lucky Charm for _that_ to happen," he gasped, chasing after her.

* * *

Once in the shower, the two of them shuffled for position under the water - it, like Marinette's bed, was not necessarily built with double occupancy in mind - but neither of them felt like complaining about the company. The casual intimacy was comforting, and while their presence and their bodies still thrilled each other... standing naked together, touching each other, and neither of them getting tongue-tied or overwhelmed seemed like a very good omen for their future.

Adrien took the opportunity to assess his shower buddy more fully; he had felt her body against his, but not seen her nude on Saturday, thanks to his blindfold and to her transformation. She had flicked the bedroom lights off the night before as they fell together. Now, with bright lighting and no distractions...

"Marinette... you are absolutely _beautiful,"_ he marveled. "From head to toe! I mean... you knew that already..."

"Flatterer," she scoffed, but with a huge smile.

"I mean it! In the old days, you were gorgeous, too... and I _did_ spend a couple of years watching you fight evil in tight Spandex..." Adrien continued, "but were you hiding _this_ all that time? You are _perfectly toned._ Everywhere!"

"I've worked pretty hard for that over the years," she confirmed. "I used to be a complete klutz out of costume... the Miraculous boosted my reflexes and coordination tremendously. So, I thought... how much better would I be _in_ costume if my normal self was in better shape?"

"Makes a lot of sense," Adrien said.

"So I did some yoga for a couple of years for flexibility, balance, core strength... I still practice it, just not as often," Marinette explained. "Some light work with weights... a little of a lot of things, actually. Luckily, I take after my mother's build a lot more than my father's. Not to mention that I was, what, fourteen or fifteen when you knew me then? I was kind of a late bloomer, though I'll always be small."

She looked down at her waist and prodded a couple of spots, gently. "I still have some things that I'm working on, of course..."

"Whatever it is that you're doing, it is _working_. I could just eat you up, Marinette!" gushed Adrien. "You are a work of art."

"Well, I'm not the only one who's very much in shape!" she replied, turning his way with a knowing grin. "I seem to remember walking in on this _delicious-looking_ young man the other night, and I'll be honest... even if I _hadn't_ known you the moment that I heard your voice, you would've been tough to resist."

"Let me _show you_ who looks delicious in this shower."

Adrien kissed her passionately, then started working his way downwards. As he passed her shoulders and lingered momentarily, Marinette gasped loudly and noted, "If we're not careful, I am going to be late..."

"This won't take long," he said with a devilish grin, and an edge to his voice that sent a happy shiver through her.

A moment later, she added, "For _work,_ Adrien..."

As he continued on his path, Marinette raised one leg up on the edge of the tub and braced her hands against the shower walls.

A few seconds later, she whimpered, "...and now I don't _care."_

* * *

Marinette scurried from one side of her bedroom to the other, making small adjustments.

"How formal is the office that you work at?" Adrien asked, watching her. "You look wonderful already."

"Oh, it's pretty casual, honestly," Marinette answered him, tweaking her hair slightly. "I just... I don't know, I feel like I'm _glowing_ for some strange reason, and I want to look my best today."

"I hope I had something to do with that," grinned Adrien, walking closer.

"You had _everything_ to do with that, and you know it," Marinette cooed. "Now, you have time to get home and change before you have to go in, right... say, where do you work, anyway?"

"Oh, I'm... kind of self-employed at the moment," said Adrien. "Mostly. Doesn't mean that I don't have a lot to do, though."

"Doing what?" wondered Marinette. She glanced at the clock and added, "Oh, tell me about it later. Can I see your phone?"

When Adrien unlocked it and handed it to her, Marinette went to his Contacts page and punched in her number, address and email. "Now, I _know_ you're not the kind of guy who'd get lucky and then disappear, right?" she smiled. "Somehow I doubt that."

"If you think that you _could_ get rid of me now... much less that I'd _want_ to vanish... you're out of your mind," smirked Adrien. "When are you free again?"

"I think... maybe Thursday night would be best? I'm doing something with my parents tomorrow night, and I have a class tonight," Marinette mused. "Call me and we'll figure out something fun together."

"Count on that. I'll head out so that you can finish up and make it to work, okay?" asked Adrien.

Marinette kissed him, then pulled him close. "Last night meant so much to me," she murmured. "I want you to know that."

"The feeling is mutual," glowed Adrien. "I am _so happy_ to have you in my life again. And not just the sex... though you are _incredible,_ Marinette! But if I spend the next hour telling you just how wonderful you are..."

"Okay, okay," she giggled. "Go. I'll talk to you later?"

"You will!"

From the window, Marinette watched Adrien go to his car, which was fairly nondescript. As he pulled away, Marinette looked down and saw Audrey by her feet, mewing quietly at her.

She scooped Audrey up and held her in front of her, kissing her head gently. " _You_ are still the cutest little kitten in the whole world!" Marinette declared. "But we have _got_ to talk about your sense of timing!"

* * *

Adrien parked his car by his apartment and headed for his door. He waved to the landlord, who was out front of the building tending to what appeared to be a busted drainpipe.

"Ah, hello, Adrien. Staying away from the crazy ones this time?" the landlord called to him.

"Trying to!" Adrien called back, good-naturedly. "See?"

He held up a wrist, this time unadorned by handcuff fragments, and got a thumbs-up in return before the landlord returned to his work.

Once inside, Adrien stripped down and took a quick shower to recover from the shower at Marinette's. He had left that one less sweaty than when he'd entered it... but only just, and a change of clothes deserved a fresh body to go into it.

A blue-eyed vision dominated his thoughts, of course, and the smile on his face wasn't going away any time soon.

 _The physical parts were... SO nice,_ he told himself... _but this isn't about that. This is about Marinette... and wanting to be part of her life again. It's where I need to be._

_And if it turns out that she can help me right some old wrongs as Ladybug... well, there's no one I would rather have on my side than her. And I couldn't have screwed_ _up_ _the situation on my own much more effectively than I did._

_But I have to think long and hard about the best way to approach that._

_I do need to tell her most of it, though... and soon._

Walking to his closet, he picked out a casual set of clothes for the day. He glanced at his dresser, opened the top drawer, and considered whether or not this situation called for one more accessory.

* * *

"Hello, Marinette!"

Marinette saw her friends Gail and Amy beckon from across the shared workspace, and waved back to them as she approached.

"You look nice today," Gail declared, her eyes narrowing as Marinette got closer. "Very nice indeed. But did you not sleep well? You look tired."

"I... had an interesting evening," Marinette began to explain.

"Interesting, hell. Look what the _cat_ dragged in!" laughed Amy. "I know _good_ exhausted when I see it. What have you been up to?"

"Well... the cat had nothing to do with it," grinned Marinette, sheepishly. "In fact, it did a good job of getting in the way of it! But I... got... _dragged."_

"Now, _this_ should be an interesting story," smiled Gail, pulling up a chair.

"We all have our one-that-got-away," Marinette explained. "Well... mine just showed up again. And it looks like he's _really_ eager to pick up where we left off... well, that's not right, 'cause it had barely even gotten started back in the day!"

"How eager is... eager?" Gail wondered, digging for details. "Like, from the look on your face, I'm guessing that he spent the night, or you did?"

"He did," smiled Marinette.

"Spent the night doing what, exactly?" cackled Amy.

"...And some of the morning..." admitted Marinette.

" _Uh-oh_ ," smiled Gail. "It's about time, though. I was beginning to think I'd have to try and set you up with that guy in Acquisitions."

"So tell us about him!" beamed Amy. "What's his name? What's he like? What does he do besides _you?"_

"His name is Adrien. I went to school with him for a couple of years," Marinette began. "He _was_ a model. From the way he talked, I don't think that he does that any more..."

Her eyes narrowed. "In fact... I'm not sure what he does right now. He was heading to work from my place, stopping at home first, but I'm not sure what or where yet."

"Hrmm," Gail wondered. "He doesn't live under a bridge or something, does he?"

"Oh, no. I've seen his apartment, his car. He seems pretty normal to me. Which is actually something that he'd always kind of wanted... he used to have money - a _lot_ of money - but it was tied up in his family, and he's split off from them now," said Marinette.

"I see you looking at me," Marinette then grinned, watching Gail's face. "He's not, like, _moving in_ yet. I'm going to slow-walk this as much as I can make myself until I know more about those in-between years, and what he's been up to lately... but he is the _sweetest boy._ We have so much to catch up on, and we've been talking as much as we have... um... those other things. Even my _kitten_ likes him!"

"Maybe a little _too much_ ," she added... then regretted it, seeing Gail and Amy's reactions to that. _I'm not going to get away without telling THAT story,_ she sighed...

* * *

 _I think that I do need some advice... and given the rather special circumstances, I know whom I ought to turn to_ , thought Adrien.

Coming to a decision, Adrien reached into the drawer and retrieved a simple brooch. Not wearing a tie or other apparel suited for it, he simply held it in his hand, where it felt warm to the touch.

"Well!" said a small voice, a moment later. "You look like you had quite a time of it since I saw you last, Master. Were your efforts productive?"

"Oh..." Adrien smiled at Nooroo, "...You could say that."


	5. The Prowl of the Mighty Huntress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After their morning encounter, Marinette chats about her new old flame with her friendly coworker, and considers introducing Adrien to her friends soon. Adrien chats with a different friend... one that's small, hovering and purple, fishing for ideas as to how to handle this new situation.
> 
> Meanwhile, Tikki wants to talk with Plagg about all of this... but he's in hiding in the Kwami's magic world and won't come out. So Tikki needs to take drastic measures to drag his sorry butt out -- and she needs some tiny help.

Delicate, Chapter 5

* * *

"You _cannot be serious._ "

Adrien nodded solemnly, with a hint of a smile, as he watched Nooroo process the story that he had just heard.

"Master.. you are telling me that-"

At that, Adrien stopped him. "Nooroo... I have told you how many times now? You do not have to call me 'Master,'" he reminded him.

"Yes, yes, I am aware of that," grumbled Nooroo. "Force of habit. I hear that tone of authority in your voice, and I wish to be polite, and _that is hardly the point_ worth arguing at the moment, is it? You are telling me that you have encountered Ladybug... and discovered her secret identity... _and_ you are now in a physical relationship with her."

"Correct on all counts," Adrien confirmed.

Nooroo's eyes bugged out. "Just how long was I in the box, Mas... Sir?" he boggled.

"Adrien. My name is _Adrien,_ " a smiling Adrien chided him. "Only about a week since our last visit! I don't like keeping you hidden away and lonely," he explained. "This has all happened _very_ quickly."

"I should say so! The human courtship ritual has been known to take years..." Nooroo pondered, "and can have so many complications. "This puts quite a new spin on your plans, does it not?"

"It certainly does. I hadn't worked out all of the finer details yet... but, yes, it involved a hit-and-run approach. I wanted to do it and be out of town again before Ladybug got any hints that the Moth was active again, or that there was any reason for her to pay new attention to Gabriel Agreste," mused Adrien. "Now, she knows I'm here, she wants to know about what I've been doing, why I'm on the outs with Father, and anything unusual happening to Father or to me would likely be on her radar."

He smiled, despite himself. "And, of course... now I'm more in love with her than ever," he admitted. "And I have no idea how I could ever leave her now."

"I cannot say that I am... unhappy that your original plan has been shelved," Nooroo frowned. "It was... you are not your father, Adrien, nor were you intending on misusing me as he had, but it still sounded too close to one of your father's schemes for my comfort."

"You wouldn't have relished the opportunity for a little revenge, Nooroo?" wondered Adrien. "Watching Father suffer some additional karmic payback?"

"Your father's karmic debt is massive, but it is not my way to battle wrong with wrong," answered Nooroo. "Nor, at heart, is it yours. And you are aware how nervous I am at being in the same _country_ as that man once more, let alone giving him even the slightest hint that I am nearby. The very notion of falling into the hands of that man ever again... brrrr! It gives me the shivers."

"I know," Adrien admitted, "but desperation is what it is. But now, with this red-and-black wildcard exploding into my life, with the trust she has in me, I need to be worthy of that trust... I need your advice, Nooroo. What do you think that I should do?"

Nooroo considered that. "Is she aware of your previous role in her life?" he asked. "And of your... well... _actions_ that you had taken?"

"Not yet."

"In that case," Nooroo parried, "give me a moment to think."

* * *

At Marinette's apartment, Tikki stared at the Miracle Box in front of her.

 _It's not very often that I ask Marinette to let me stay behind like this,_ Tikki considered, _so she must know that something's up. It's not any particular Kwami's birthday or anything like that, and I don't like being separated from her for very long... though it's not as if there's a lot of risk involved these days. Marinette's had an "It's an emergency, I HAVE to transform right now" moment, what, twice this year so far? And her office is close enough that I will go rejoin her as soon as I can._

_But as much as he is not going to like this... he's going to want to know about this._

With that thought in mind, Tikki flew into the box and into the portal leading to the Kwamis' magic world within.

* * *

"All right, I'm _completely_ curious now," Gail greeted Marinette at their first coffee break. "So tell me more about him, already! Adrien was a model, you'd said. Would I know his face if I saw it?"

"Definitely," Marinette grinned. "It used to be on advertisements, even billboards all over Paris."

 _"Reallllly,"_ drawled Gail. "A big name, huh... _wait a second._ Not... Adrien _Agreste?_ "

"That's him!"

Gail's expression wasn't quite what Marinette had expected... a real mix. "Well!" her friend gasped. "That's... quite a surprise!"

"But not a good one?" puzzled Marinette.

"Oh, he's a handsome one, I remember that much. You have excellent taste that way, no doubt of _that,_ " grinned Gail. "And I will take your word on his personality being sparkling, too. But his father is an absolute _bear_ to deal with, from what little I've heard from people I know who've met him."

"I have been face-to-face with him, back in the day. I can't say that I relished the experience," agreed Marinette. "He could make water freeze at ten paces with one look."

"You're _not..._ in order to..." ventured Gail, carefully.

" _No!_ " exclaimed Marinette. "Definitely not! Adrien is a dear, but I know enough about his father that I'd never _want_ to work for him. I'm a little _surprised_ at you for suggesting that!"

"I didn't mean it like that!" backpedaled Gail. "You're totally not the type for that. You're woefully underemployed _here_..."

"Pfft," Marinette retorted. "This is experience, and it pays the bills."

"I'm sorry, Marinette. You know how highly I think of you," Gail apologized. "If you _were_ a sleep-your-way-to-the-top type, I'm just saying, you're not very good at it," she smiled, gesturing to the nondescript setting around them. "And I'd want to know who around _here_ would be worth it!"

That got a grudging giggle out of Marinette.

"I don't know, though. The Agrestes. They've had such a cloud over them the last few years, haven't they?" Gail continued. "The whole thing with his wife disappearing... she never turned up, did she? And that weird explosion, or whatever it was that took out half his mansion the other year. Did they ever figure out what caused that?"

"Not... that I know of," Marinette replied. "The official word was a sinkhole, I think. There were construction crews all over the place afterwards."

 _Which I didn't buy at the time, either..._ she thought, _but even as Ladybug I couldn't get close enough to investigate. I found out that Adrien was safe, and I left it at that..._

"Do we get to meet him?" asked Gail. "I mean... if he's going to date _you_ , he's got your gauntlet of friends to run, right?"

"Yeah, I would like that," Marinette agreed. "Next time that we all get together, I'll invite him. I do think that you'd like him quite a bit."

* * *

Nooroo looked troubled as he weighed Adrien's options. "All right," he began. "Ladybug does not know that you were Chat Noir, that your father was Hawkmoth or that his assistant was Mayura. Correct?"

"On all three counts," confirmed Adrien.

"Nor what you did to take two of those three out of harm's way for good," noted Nooroo.

"All three, really. She said that the Cat's never been out of the box since," Adrien replied. "But I took away the reasons for the Cat to be needed by eliminating the other dangers."

"And Paris has slept better ever since, I am sure," Nooroo agreed. "Would Plagg not have told her about those things, though? Or told Tikki, and Tikki would have told her?"

"No. I mentioned my father and even asked her about Chat Noir, and she didn't make the connections," said Adrien. "And Plagg should be... Plagg should not be saying anything, after the way that we parted, which he was _not_ happy about. Which kind of makes me hope that Plagg _stays_ in the box, to be honest." Adrien looked rather wistful. "I miss him... of _course_ I do. He and I were close for so long! But I also don't know how he'd handle seeing me again, and with what he could do if he lost his temper..."

"Given just the parts that I witnessed... yes, I do not think that he would take that lightly," cautioned Nooroo. "I would have your heartfelt speech of apology prepared, and perhaps a truckload of cheese nearby."

"So... there is my dilemma," stated Adrien. "My knowledge of whom Hawkmoth and Mayura were is my main leverage over them, but it's a bomb that I can only drop once... and Father knows that I don't _want_ it to be dropped any more than he does! And the longer I wait to tell Ladybug 'I was your partner,' the more it's going to sting... but the first thing she's going to ask is 'Why did you quit out of nowhere?' And that leads straight to the secret that I've been running from all this time, that could make everything explode once she knows it."

"Might Ladybug see things your way, if she knows that much of the truth?" suggested Nooroo. "That what you did had good reasons behind it? That you neutralized the threat of Hawkmoth and Mayura without endangering her or anyone else, that you wanted to protect her from a final confrontation, and that you did what else you did out of a sense of family loyalty?"

"She might. Or she might want to see Father and Nathalie face justice for all they've done, and I couldn't blame her there. Father racked up quite a laundry list of crimes and public endangerment," Adrien allowed. "But looking into those eyes of hers and lying... Nooroo, I don't think I could even if I wanted to. I don't see a clean way out of any of this."

"Well, you had better start looking harder," directed Nooroo. "Because this whole thing might blow up very quickly."

* * *

After the usual greetings with the dormant Kwamis, Tikki pulled Wayzz and Sass aside for a conversation.

"What was that thing that you dropped off?" asked Wayzz. "We're always happy to get artifacts from the human world in here, of course, but I don't recognize that one."

"It's called a fidget spinner," Tikki explained. "A toy that the humans were passionate about a few years ago. A very simple concept; it's nearly frictionless, so one good swipe and it whirls around for ages. In _here_ , with the altered physics, it might well _be_ frictionless..."

Sass turned and chuckled at Barkk and Daizzi, whose heads were a blur as they watched it go around and around and around and around and around and around. "That might keep them occupied for days," he noted with amusement. "But I know that is not why you visited us."

"True. Is Grumpy Cat still in seclusion?" asked Tikki. "I need to speak with him."

"Very much so, unfortunately," Wayzz sighed. "Plagg found a dark and deep hole, he's dug himself down in there, and he's insistent that he's not coming out _and_ he's not telling us what has him so agitated. I don't think that it's anything that any of _us_ did..."

"All right. I won't even try reasoning with him, then; once he gets into one of those snits, I know how he is," grumbled Tikki. "It would take an army to change his mind. I'll just have to bring him out myself."

"Wait. You would give him another human host?" asked Wayzz, an eyebrow raised. "That's one thing that he was _adamant_ that he would never accept again."

"A human host? Not... exactly," Tikki smiled.

* * *

Back in the apartment, Tikki rummaged through the hidden belongings accompanying the Miracle Box. They were kept out of sight for good reason, of course, but that was no obstacle for Tikki, and _she_ was certainly the other living being that Marinette wouldn't mind handling them.

She emerged tugging at one of the small, black jewelry boxes, the traditional containers for delivering the Miraculous to their hosts.

 _Okay,_ Tikki reasoned. _People like Marinette and Master Fu can pick up a Miraculous without immediately invoking its Kwami, unless they will it to appear. It takes an exercise of intent on their part to summon us; their way of saying 'I want this' in word or gesture or thought. So that's one way... but I would like to speak with Plagg_ _before Marinette would summon him, just to assess the situation properly first and to give her my best advice. So I don't want Marinette invoking him just yet._

_The other way that a Kwami manifests is when someone opens one of these boxes, with their Miraculous inside it. That's enough of a 'Mine!' gesture to trigger it._

Tikki fluttered into the Miracle Box and emerged with a black ring; she sat it in the box that she'd retrieved, then shoved the box closed. The container sat motionless in the middle of Marinette's bedroom floor.

As she admired her handiwork, Tikki smiled, _You exist for a few eons, you pick up on a few loopholes like this. Now... I just need someone to open the box before Marinette gets home. And I can't do it, because Kwamis can't host other Kwamis, so..._

Deliberately, she floated out into the hallway, singing to herself in a reasonably loud voice. A pair of golden eyes in the living room whirled in her direction, then locked on.

"Here, kitty, kitty," grinned Tikki, edging back into the bedroom slowly.

* * *

Pondering his next move, Adrien was distracted by an incoming text message on his phone.

 **[Marinette]** Hello, handsome.

 **[Adrien]** Hello, gorgeous. What's up?

 **[Marinette]** Just checking. I'd mentioned us getting together on Thursday... do you mind if we have company?

 **[Adrien]** I wouldn't mind. What kind of company?

 **[Marinette]** A couple of work friends that I get together with wanted to stop by that night and hang out. Would you like to meet them?

 **[Marinette]** They're just a bit curious about you.

 **[Adrien]** About me? I thought that a lady didn't kiss-and-tell.

 **[Marinette]** A lady who comes to work _exhausted_, after what a gentleman did to her in the shower this morning, draws some attention. ;)

 **[Adrien]** You did seem to like that...

 **[Adrien]** And, yes, I'm fine with that on Thursday. If I can wait that long to see you again...

 **[Marinette]** I'll text you later, we'll talk about it.

* * *

Audrey crept down the hallway, one careful step at a time. There was some kind of _bug_ in _her house!_ A _big red bug!_ The one that she'd seen before, but could never quite catch! In _MAMA'S_ room!

She stared at the doorway, daring the tiny intruder to poke its head out again. Was it something she'd imagined? Or perhaps some cousin of that horrible red dot that appeared and vanished at will--

_There!_

The bug flew out where she could see it once more. Audrey had never seen a live mouse, but if she had, "bug-mouse" wouldn't have been a bad descriptive term for it.

"Are you coming, or what?" giggled the bug, retreating into the bedroom. Audrey followed, entranced but a little wary; bugs that size that could talk were not her typical prey.

As she rounded the corner of the doorway, there was no mistaking it; the bug was real, and hovering behind something small and black on the bedroom floor. It wasn't moving, but it was staring right at Audrey, as if daring her to pounce.

Well, _that_ was going to be a fatal mistake...

Audrey took two steps forward, then reared back, wiggling her butt carefully to gauge position and traction. Everything was in order for the _fiercest pounce ever!_ Mama was going to be _so proud_ of her when she presented her with what she'd caught...

The mighty huntress leaped, claws extended, with what she felt sure was an apartment-shaking roar!

She was a bit startled when the bug shot straight up in the air, and she and the black box went tumbling across the carpet. But the look on Audrey's face when the box erupted into a bright white flash of light... _that_ was something where Tikki wished that she'd had a camera.

* * *

 _"That..."_ intoned a very angry Plagg, "was _dirty frickin' pool!_ "

"I'm a little surprised that it worked, to be honest," Tikki apologized. "But it was the only way I could think of to get you here..."

"Yeah! And there's a _reason_ for that," Plagg shouted, oblivious to the mystified feline behind him, staring at him in awe. "You know _enough_ of what went on back then. If you think that I'm ever taking another human host..."

"I didn't say that. Do you see any humans here?" deadpanned Tikki.

"No... um... where the heck are we, anyway?" mumbled Plagg. "I don't recognize this room... though something does seem familiar about it."

"This is Marinette's bedroom, in her new apartment. You've never been _out_ here... you came with the box," Tikki explained. "And _that..."_

"That _what?"_ wondered Plagg... until he felt a small white paw batting at him, tentatively.

 _"HEY!_ Knock that off!" he shouted, whirling around to face his attacker.

Audrey reared back slightly, trying to make sense of what she saw and heard, but remained within range for another try. The red bug was farther away, so the weird black kitten was a more opportune target... and it was more interesting to her, anyway. She studied him carefully, hoping to divine the secret of how to float in the air like that.

Plagg stared at Audrey... then at the open box, with the black ring spilled out on the carpet... then at Tikki. "You... have to be kidding, right?" he declared. "How is she even going to wear the _ring?"_

"Oh, I bet that we could wiggle it onto her tail..." Tikki grinned. "Of _course_ she's not your new host! That's Marinette's kitten. I had to trick her into opening the box to get you here."

"And _what_ was so important that you had to drag my butt out here?" exclaimed Plagg. "In case you hadn't noticed, I was _not taking visitors._ "

"Plagg..." Tikki declared. "Use that sensitive nose of yours! The one that you always claim could track a piece of cheese from three countries away. Do you sense anything... odd about this room?"

Plagg sniffed the air, inquisitively. Audrey sniffed as well, then sniffed at Plagg, but he paid her no mind.

"All right, I'll play your game," he snarled. "Yes, this is definitely Marinette's bedroom; her scent is everywhere. I..."

Tikki watched as the light bulb of realization went on over his head, gradually.

"He's been _here?_ The son-of-a-bitch has been _HERE?"_

One more deep sniff... followed by another in the direction of the unmade bedsheets.

"No _way!_ They... they finally..." he mumbled. "I must be hallucinating."

He stared into space as he continued, "Adrien is back. And not only has the universe not seen fit to pay him back for what he did... _now_ _he's banging the Guardian_."

"Enthusiastically," Tikki agreed. "And mostly her idea."

Plagg turned to Tikki in disbelief. "What in the hell has been _happening_ out here?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Tikki sighed. "But I'll try."

* * *

Marinette arrived home a couple of hours later, met at the door by an enthusiastic bundle of white fur.

"Hello! I missed you too, Audrey!" giggled Marinette, as the kitten leaped into her arms once she bent down in that direction.

Audrey snuggled up to Marinette affectionately, then dashed several steps down the hallway, looking back to make sure that Marinette was following her.

"Hmmm? What is it, girl?" wondered Marinette. "What has gotten into you today?"

Taking a moment to set her purse down and kick her shoes off, Marinette walked down the hallway and examined her bedroom. Nothing much appeared to be out of place.

"You didn't dig into anything in here, did you?" murmured Marinette, scanning the remainder of the room and hoping to find nothing shredded. Audrey did a little dance near the closet door, in which Marinette knew the Miracle Box was hidden away.

 _Uh-oh,_ Marinette grinned. _Did Tikki let herself be seen? That hasn't happened in at least a month._

"Tikki?" she called, quietly. "Are you around?"

"Mmm-hmm," her Kwami confirmed. A red blur darted through the closet door and onto Marinette's shoulder, out of Audrey's reach and, at least for the moment, unnoticed by her.

"Looks like somebody caught you today," whispered Marinette, with a smile. "Everything's back the way you found it, I'm sure?"

"Oh, yes. We're good," confirmed Tikki. "Nothing I couldn't handle."

"You weren't, like... having a meeting with the other Kwamis about Adrien finding out my identity, were you?" asked Marinette. "I don't blame you for being concerned, but if you need to talk about it... if we all need to talk about it..."

"No, no, it wasn't that," Tikki assured her. "I'd just... it had been a while since I'd seen the others, that's all. Catching up with an old friend."

"Okay. You're not usually shy when we do need to discuss anything," Marinette replied. "Just making sure."

Tikki flitted over to her usual hiding place on Marinette's dresser, while Marinette reached down and picked up the still-wound-up kitten. "I may just have to get you a playmate," Marinette told Audrey. "Another kitten so you won't be lonely all day while I'm away! Would you like another cat around the house?"

Tikki chuckled to herself at that. _Be careful what you wish for, Marinette,_ she thought. _Because now that he knows what he knows, the other little cat in your life wants out of the box the next time that your ex-cat drops by..._

* * *

Much later that night, Marinette's phone rang. She answered it and saw Adrien's smiling face.

"Hello," Adrien greeted her. "I just had to see you again tonight. How was your class?"

"Pretty good. A little boring, actually," parried Marinette. "And you?"

"Nothing too eventful. I would say that this morning was the highlight of my day," smiled Adrien.

"You'd _better_ say that!" laughed Marinette, mock-threateningly.

They engaged in light conversation for a little while. "You're sure that you don't mind meeting my friends like this? It's not, like, a full-blown party or anything," Marinette asked. "A couple of people that I work with, and their boyfriends. The five of us get together fairly often. In fact, I was walking back from Gail's house when I found _you_ on Saturday."

"I must thank Gail for having a house so perfectly placed, then. If she lived somewhere else, I might still be handcuffed there," mused Adrien.

"Oh, I didn't tell her about _that!_ That stays between us, believe me. I don't want them thinking I'm some kind of sex maniac, ravishing strange men that I find in the night."

Adrien paused for a beat. "Well... I was kind of _hoping_ you might be," he chuckled. "That was sort of a fantasy come true, in a weird way."

"It was?" wondered Marinette, strangely intrigued. "Go on."

"Oh... back when we used to know each other... I used to leave my bedroom window open at night. Just in case," he admitted. "I never _expected_ a midnight visitor..."

"...But if a certain young Ladybug had climbed through it one night and slipped into your bed with you..." laughed Marinette. "Oh, do not give me these temptations!"

"Well, I don't live there _now_ ," Adrien said.

"Does your apartment have bedroom windows?" grinned Marinette. "I could swing over there in five minutes, and be on top of you in five and a half. Though I am _trying_ to pace myself with that kind of thing, even if you're impossible to resist."

"I wouldn't turn it down," Adrien grinned back. "But I can pace myself, too."

"Besides," parried Marinette, "I'm already dressed for bed and stretched out. I do have to work tomorrow."

"Ah, just a lonely girl and her nightgown, hmmm?" imagined Adrien.

"Who said anything about a nightgown?"

* * *

Adrien's eyes widened as Marinette bit her bottom lip slightly. "I wasn't going to show you this tonight... but since you asked..."

She panned the phone down her young body, allowing Adrien to see a lacy black camisole, with black panties to match... and thigh-high stockings.

"I wouldn't want you to have unpleasant dreams tonight, all alone over there," she cooed once she returned the phone to her face. "So when you come over on Thursday... I want you to spend the whole time knowing that _this_ is what I'll have on underneath my clothes."

"And with that in mind... I want you to know how difficult it'll be for your friends not to notice _this_."

He panned his own phone down, showing a pair of satin boxers, through which his appreciation for her teasing was obvious.

"Oh, my. Did I say five minutes?" Marinette giggled. "I could be there in three... and sliding onto _that_ in four. Or I could just wait until you're asleep... and wake you up that way."

"Marinette," breathed Adrien, "once your friends have left... you are in so much trouble."

"Promises, promises," she smiled.

"You said that Saturday night as you were leaving," countered Adrien. "And look what that got you."

"Maybe I'll need to look at it again. Just to be sure," grinned Marinette. "Good night, Adrien."

"Good night, my sweet," Adrien echoed, as he hung up.


	6. A Jug of Wine, A Small Hors D'oeuvre, And Thou

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette's friendly get-together has arrived. Adrien gets to meet Marinette's two coworkers and their boyfriends, who are naturally curious about him, as well as a small and furry friend who's eager to get reacquainted.
> 
> The wine flows (in reasonable quantities), the stories unfold... and in a nearby room, stories of another kind begin to come together. Nooroo goes searching for the Miracle Box in Marinette's bedroom, but he is not the only Kwami loose in the household.

Delicate, Chapter 6

* * *

Marinette hustled around her apartment early on Thursday evening, making sure that everything was in place, then plopped down onto her sofa. Her stockinged feet rested on a small ottoman; Audrey wandered over to investigate and was rewarded with scritches behind her small white ears.

She took a deep breath. Tonight's get-together wasn't a major event by size or by necessary preparation... and it wasn't as if Adrien wasn't known for making a good impression on people. _He could charm the paint off of a road sign,_ she smiled to herself. _He'll be fine._

And yet...

A chime from her phone distracted her. She found a message from Adrien:

 **[Adrien]** What time shall I come over tonight?

 **[Marinette]** The others are coming around seven, seven-thirty.

 **[Adrien]** Should I bring anything? Wine, snacks, movies?

 **[Marinette]** Not necessary, but thank you! It's not a full-blown party, just some friends hanging out. Bringing yourself will be just fine.

 **[Adrien]** Perfect. Can't wait to see you again... and I will soon!

 **[Marinette]** :-X

"Everything is in order?" said a tiny voice from the top of the sofa, out of Audrey's vision.

"I think so," Marinette smiled up at Tikki. "The wine is chilled, the snacks were made up yesterday, and the clutter has been put away."

"Is Adrien staying overnight this time?" Tikki asked her.

"...I hope so? But that's up to him," Marinette replied. "I wouldn't tell him no. Waking up with him the other morning was an absolute dream."

"He didn't seem to complain, either," agreed Tikki, "at least until Audrey crashed the party."

"Hah! And that was almost worth it," giggled Marinette, reaching down and lifting Audrey up next to her. Tikki fluttered behind a throw pillow a short distance away, just in case.

"You are going to let Mama and her friend snuggle in peace this time, right?" Marinette asked Audrey, in a light and teasing voice.

"As I recall, it wasn't the snuggling that wound her up," smirked Tikki. "She was perfectly content sleeping on Adrien's pillow. It was when _playtime_ started..."

"Fair enough," said Marinette, "you're not wrong about that. So _this time_ we'll clear the room of all extra players first." She looked into Audrey's blue eyes and added, "You heard that, right? Your buddy's coming over again tonight!"

Whether she understood that fully was open to debate.. but Audrey's purr grew a little louder.

* * *

Adrien ran a comb through his hair, examined his reflection in the mirror carefully, and watched a small purple presence hover behind him in it.

"How do I look, Nooroo?" Adrien asked him.

"Impeccable as ever, Sir," Nooroo replied. "Your sense of style is one of the few areas in which I am pleased to see your father's influence."

He watched as Adrien styled a subtle wave into his hairstyle. "Of course... you do add touches that are all your own," the Kwami noted.

"Absolutely," smiled Adrien. "One must move with the times, after all."

"Speaking of your father's fashion choices," asked Nooroo, "will you be wearing a certain brooch tonight?"

"I hadn't been planning on it," Adrien said. "Do you think that it would be wise of me?"

"It depends," Nooroo wavered.

Adrien turned to him and waited, listening attentively.

"Obviously... if you are not ready to reveal your previous adventures to Miss Ladybug yet, it would be playing with fire to bring my Miraculous literally into Ladybug's _residence_. The concealing magic would be active, of course," mused Nooroo, "but it would also be waving the jewel she has sought after for _years_ right under her nose."

"True. And I have no intention of teasing her with it," agreed Adrien. "She needs to know many things."

"But, if I may be so bold..."

"Nooroo," said Adrien, softly. "You may be as bold as you like. I'm not my father; I will never... _lash out_ at you for being honest. I promise."

"Th-thank you, Sir," smiled Nooroo.

" _Adrien_ ," he reemphasized.

"Adrien, yes," replied Nooroo, nervously. "I would also point out that... perhaps it is time to give her what it is that she craves?"

Despite himself, Adrien laughed loudly at that.

"And I do _not_ mean it in _that_ way! Regardless of your mutual levels of appreciation and physical exhaustion," sighed Nooroo. "What I am saying... is that perhaps it is time for the Miracle Box to close once more, with eighteen places filled, and to turn the final page on this era of wonders. I would treasure the opportunity to be reunited with my fellow Kwamis, as well."

"You make a good point, Nooroo... and it is not fair of me to dangle that opportunity in front of you and not deliver, now that we know where Ladybug is. _That_ would be acting like Father did," Adrien declared. "And I do not plan on hiding the truth from Ladybug indefinitely. Whether she would ever trust me with a Miraculous again, and whether _you_ might choose to remain out of the box... time will tell. It'll have to."

He closed his eyes. "If I am in Ladybug's apartment... I would imagine that the Miracle Box is there, as well. It has to be; she would want it close to her, so that she could pull them out quickly in time of need," he ventured. "If I bring you along tonight, can you zip around the apartment and stay out of sight and find it? That would allow you to at least visit the other Kwamis tonight and let them know that you are okay."

"Be sure of what you ask, Adrien," warned Nooroo. "The... arrangement that you had with Plagg might well be weakened by that, or broken entirely. The rules of magic are twisty little things."

"I will take that chance," Adrien replied, "if it means giving you a little peace of mind, Nooroo. I haven't misused you, but... well... I haven't been much of a host to you, either. Perhaps she is not the only one to whom I need to make amends."

Nooroo blinked back at him. "You are a good man, Adrien Agreste," he murmured.

* * *

Just after seven o'clock, Gail and Peter were the first couple to arrive. Peter took a sofa seat next to the armchair where Gail sat, across the coffee table from Marinette once she'd brought over the first wave of refreshments.

"So," ventured Peter once Marinette had rejoined them, "someone told me that you went fishing last weekend... and you might've caught yourself a whale! _Adrien Agreste_ will be joining us this evening? The model?"

"Yes, he will," smiled Marinette. "He was a school friend of mine at Françoise Dupont; we were pretty close back then. After _lycee_ , we fell out of touch, but I ran into him on Saturday by chance, and we reconnected."

Gail smiled to herself at Marinette's definition of "reconnecting" and considered teasing her about that, but instead sipped her glass of wine and allowed her to continue. Marinette wasn't the type to simply come out and say "he left me walking funny," anyway.

 _"There's_ a name that I hadn't heard in a while," mused Peter. "I mean, Agreste Fashions is still a pretty big player in the field... but for a while there, Adrien's face seemed to be everywhere! And then he just... sort of..."

"...Disappeared?" Marinette finished for him. "He did. He and his father had some kind of major disagreement, I'm not sure about what... and he plays that pretty close-to-the-vest, so please don't bring that up unless _he_ does..."

Peter made a zip-the-lips gesture with his fingers.

"So he left the family empire. That would explain a lot of that," Gail replied. "And he was likely under a flood of NDAs and contracts and agreements preventing him from modeling anywhere else."

"That could be," considered Marinette. "But modeling was never really... his thing, you know? He did it for his father, for the company, but he wasn't the kind of person who was addicted to the cameras. More like that it was just a job for him, and not one of the jobs that he wanted."

"So what _is_ he into these days?" asked Peter.

A knock at the door distracted the three of them. On her way to the door, Marinette replied, "You might be able to ask him that yourself in just a minute."

* * *

Adrien held his breath as the apartment door opened...

A vision of loveliness was his reward. An attractive young woman grinned up at him, in a navy blue swing dress with a subtle white-dotted pattern. Her hair was down from its usual pigtails, her eyes were clear and bright, and her joy at seeing him was obvious.

"Hello, stranger," Marinette beamed, stretching up for a quick kiss. "Glad you could make it! Come on in."

As he entered, Adrien scanned the room with his eyes. A slightly older couple - early twenties, probably - had already arrived, and a familiar ball of white fur was poking its head out of the kitchen to see whom it was that had just entered.

"Hello there!" the woman greeted him, rising from her seat, as did her companion. "I'm Gail Marchand, I work with Marinette. This is Peter Gage."

"Pleased to meet you both," Adrien replied, shaking hands with each. "I'm Adrien. I'm an old friend of Marinette's."

"So she has been telling us," smiled Peter.

"Only the good parts, I hope," grinned Adrien.

"What other parts were there?" Marinette teased him. "Can I get you something, while I'm up?"

"Hmmm," Adrien considered. "Is that a chardonnay? I'll do a small glass of that, please." At Marinette's slight look of surprise, he clarified, "I'm not much of a drinker at all... but I'll do just a little to be sociable."

"You'll like it, I think. It's got a nice light body to it," Gail offered.

"It's nothing fancy!" Marinette called back to them, as she went to the kitchen for a glass for Adrien. "Grocery store wine, I assure you."

She poured out a glass for Adrien, then joined him on the loveseat across from their other guests. As she settled in, Adrien felt the slightest movement in the area of his shirt pocket, and sensed that Nooroo had made his move.

 _Good luck, little friend,_ he thought to himself.

* * *

Nooroo darted straight down through the floorboards, just far enough to be out of sight. He zipped straight across the room until he was sure that he was past the far wall, then poked his head up to get his bearings.

 _Looks like some kind of small office,_ he thought. _Is it? Possibly more of an artist's studio... a quiet place to reflect and design._

 _Oh! Of course,_ Nooroo chided himself. _For one such as this, it is likely both at once. The... old Master had similar habits, and from what my new Master tells me, this girl is quite the design prodigy._

He flew up and studied the works-in-progress facing up on Marinette's desk.

 _Not bad... not bad at all!_ he mused. _Not that I am an expert in such things, but I lived as a captive of one who was for years, so I saw many things firsthand. She would be worthy of his notice. And,_ he noted with some satisfaction, _she has the excellent taste not to have sought it._

Nooroo gave the nearby filing cabinet and storage bins a cursory scan, but was not surprised to find nothing out of the ordinary there. _A bit too out-in-the-open for a hiding place,_ he reasoned.

He ducked down and scouted out the next room - _bathroom, certainly no Miracles here_ _-_ and continued on to Marinette's bedroom.

 _Now, this has more potential,_ Nooroo smiled. _Closets, boxes under the bed, dresser drawers, lots of places for something interesting to be tucked out of sight._

He cast an eye back at the bedroom door, which was securely closed. _I would do to remember that she has a cat,_ Nooroo told himself; _it would not be pleasant to become a chew-toy for it. But with the door closed, I do not anticipate that kind of interruption._

_Here goes..._

As Nooroo fluttered around the room, darting in and out of assorted containers and furniture, he was correct that Audrey was unable to detect him from her living-room vantage point.

But he did not go completely unnoticed.

* * *

"So, Gail... are you on the same design team as Marinette?" asked Adrien, pleasantly.

"I am," Gail confirmed. "For what that's worth... your company is on-"

"My _father's_ company," Adrien corrected her, quickly but in a light tone.

"Yes, excuse me, you did clarify that," said Gail. "Agreste Fashions is on a completely different level than what we do. I'd be surprised if you'd ever even heard the name of our company."

"You might be surprised at that," shrugged Adrien. "Yes, my father focuses primarily on high-end lines and on runway fare, but when I knew him, he kept fingers on the pulses of many aspects of the fashion world. Just because something is mass-market or for everyday wear does not make it any less challenging to do well."

"Very diplomatic of you, Adrien, and appreciated," smiled Gail. "But I think that all of us there have our eyes set on something bigger someday."

" _When_ you knew him?" Peter interjected.

Adrien's face appeared emotionless as he turned Peter's way.

 _"Completely not_ _judging,_ " wavered Peter, as he held his hands up in a defensive posture. "That just sounds odd coming from someone as young as yourself, talking about his father."

"No offense taken," said Adrien, allowing himself a small smile. "Father and his prize assistant are still doing what they do best over at their mansion, keeping their company prominent. I simply stared into the face of something with which I was not able to reconcile."

Peter and Gail were silent, but their eyes screamed out for him to continue, if he would, pretty please.

"And what was that?" asked Marinette, drawing Adrien's attention. "Is it something that you can talk about, or something that you wouldn't feel comfortable bringing up?"

The four of them were abruptly distracted by Audrey leaping up onto the loveseat.

"Well, hello," Adrien smiled down at her. "Do you remember me?"

Audrey gave him a good sniff, turned and rubbed her head against Marinette's arm, then turned again, staring up at Adrien... then flopped down between the two of them, content.

"Somehow, I think that she does," smiled Marinette, petting Audrey gently. "You were saying?"

"To be honest... I would rather say 'let's let that lie for now,'" Adrien apologized. "He doesn't have corpses in his attic or slave labor in his basement, or anything like that, I'll say that much. It was more of an... ethical dispute between us than anything else. Something fundamental."

"Mmmm," Gail murmured. "I've dealt with that kind of thing... but not with a family member. I'm sorry, Adrien."

"You don't need to be sorry, Gail. You didn't do it," smiled Adrien. "I don't want any of you to feel bad at all about asking about it. So, Peter... what do you do?"

As Peter described his role as a young programmer at a local firm, Marinette and Gail exchanged glances.

 _It's not that this was terribly unusual,_ thought Marinette. _I wouldn't want to bring up painful family history with someone that I'd just met, either._

_But the pace and ease in which he circled around it and changed the subject... reminds me of "I'd rather not spoil the mood tonight" from a few nights ago._

She looked over at Adrien, not with suspicion, but with growing curiosity.

 _What night WILL be the right one for me to hear that?_ she wondered.

* * *

Nooroo considered the closet door in front of him.

 _I have examined the vast majority of the young lady's belongings,_ he thought, _and found nothing so far that would seem unusual for a woman of her age and profession. Not that I would expect her to have a diary on her dresser titled "My Life To Date, by Ladybug," of course... and I do trust the young Master's judgement on that. She fits every profile that I had considered back in the day, and Adrien is certain that she has the Ladybug and the Guardianship; and to be honest, from the way the young Master speaks of her, I suspect that the Miracle Box could not be in better hands._

He shuddered, slightly. _I feel... uncomfortable rifling through her possessions like this,_ he worried. _This is not proper behavior on my part. But I cannot simply fly up to her in the middle of her social engagement and ask "Excuse me, but where might I find all of your Miraculous, Ladybug?"_

_Now, let's see what I can find in here._

Nooroo floated through the door...

"YEOW!"

He squeaked loudly as a blur smacked into him and carried him back through the door, tumbling together in a heap on the thick carpet!

* * *

Adrien smiled down at Audrey as she snuggled in closer to him.

"Well, _you_ made a friend," Gail noted.

"I did," confirmed Adrien. "She knew me for about thirty seconds and decided that my lap was a perfect place for a nap."

"I like how she stretches out between us like this," Marinette pointed out. "One paw's got to be touching each of us, connecting the circuit. That way, neither of us can get up without her knowing it."

"That's pure cat. Mine does that, too," Peter smiled.

Another knock at the door roused Audrey, who climbed up onto Marinette's lap and looked up at Adrien with a small meow.

"It looks like I'm not going anywhere," giggled Marinette. "Adrien, could you get the door?"

"Absolutely."

* * *

"Hah! Gotcha!" a familiar voice declared. "I don't know how you got back out of the box, Plagg, but I _told you_ not to try anything until I..."

"...came and talked with..." the voice trailed off.

"... _you?"_

The lighting was very dim, but Kwami vision was sharp, and Nooroo and his tiny assailant quickly came into focus for each other.

" _NOOROO?"_ gasped Tikki loudly, forgetting herself for a moment. "It's _you!_ You're _here?_ You're _FREE?_ "

She hugged him tightly, overwhelmed. "I cannot _believe_ that - that - _wait."_

For just a moment, she backed away, suspiciously. " _Are_ you free?" Tikki wondered. "This isn't some kind of... bizarre Hawkmoth gambit..."

"I assure you, it is not," Nooroo answered. "My former Master would never have let me out of his sight, much less allowed me to wander free. It is _so good_ to see you after all this time, Tikki!"

Tikki let the logic of that connect in her mind, and then dove straight into the hug once more. "We tried so hard to find you, Nooroo," she shuddered, apologetically. "Plagg and I tried _so hard._ Our hosts did, too."

"I know. You were far closer than you knew," Nooroo consoled her. "And my new Master is not like the old. He has no intentions of misusing me; he has barely _used_ me at all since he acquired me, except for advice and pleasant conversation."

That sank in for Tikki. "Your... _new_ Master _,"_ she repeated. "And if you are here now, with me... he must be nearby."

"Indeed, that narrows it down quite a bit, does it not?" nodded Nooroo. "The magic prevents me from naming him, as does... one other consideration. Or at least it did; I do not feel that binding me as intensely as before... but I would still not violate his trust without his direct say-so. He is allowing me to be here, and to find you and the others, which is no small concession."

Tikki stared at Nooroo. "You don't have to say it out loud," she told him. "I can put these pieces together. Oh... oh, _dear._ You know who we need to talk to now, don't you?"

"That is why I am here," Nooroo explained. "I am looking for the Miracle Box, with my young Master's permission. Finding you like this was simply a wonderful and welcome bonus. Do you know where it is?"

"You're very close; it _is_ in this closet. Follow me," beckoned Tikki. "Everyone will be so _thrilled_ to see you!"

* * *

Adrien opened the front door to the apartment, and saw a couple his own age standing there.

"Oh! Hello!" bubbled the girl, a petite redhead. "You must be Adr- _eeeeeep!_ "

"Actually," Adrien parried with a genuine smile, "Adreeeeeep is a distant cousin of mine; I'm Adrien. You would be Jacques and Amy?"

"We would be," laughed Jacques, a dark-haired young man with a small goatee. "Good to meet you, Adrien. Amy, hon? You okay?"

"I - I am," gulped Amy. "I am so _sorry!_ It's just... you're Adrien _Agreste!_ I didn't... Hi! I'm Amy."

"Please, come in!" gestured Adrien.

As Adrien led them into the living room, Marinette waved to the new couple. From slightly behind Adrien, Amy waved back and mouthed _YOU DID NOT TELL ME!_ at Marinette, pointing subtly at Adrien.

"I did, too!" replied Marinette, quietly... then grinned up at Adrien as he rejoined her on the loveseat. "Oh! Hi," she laughed.

"Adrien... oh, gosh, I didn't mean to react like that!" gushed Amy, as she and Jacques took the remaining seats on the sofa. "It's just... wow, I was your _biggest fan_ a few years ago, when you were absolutely _huge_ _!_ I had every magazine cover you were on, I bookmarked every story about you..."

"I'm always happy to meet a fan... even if I don't do that sort of thing any more," Adrien replied, warmly. "It was a crazy time."

"...You _may_ have gotten me through puberty," she added.

Marinette half-laughed, half-cringed, while Jacques feigned pulling Amy farther away from Adrien, in mock jealousy. Peter and Gail laughed heartily.

"Maybe a crazier time than I knew," Adrien noted, wryly.

"And we may have to arm-wrestle later for the title of 'his biggest fan,' Amy," declared Marinette.

"All right, let's go," Amy countered. "The day that the mob was chasing Adrien and some girl all over Paris, right after his fragrance came out? Were _you_ part of that? Because I sure was. I nearly ran my legs off!"

Marinette's jaw dropped... she stared at Adrien, who looked at her with equal amazement... and then both of them burst out in uncontrollable laughter.

"...What?" asked Amy, uncomprehending.

"Was I _part of that?_ " cackled Marinette. "I _was_ that girl!'"

 _"No. WAY!"_ gasped Amy.

Jacques grinned at her open-mouthed reaction, while Gail refilled her wineglass. "Oh, there is _such_ a story here," she laughed.

* * *

Marinette and Adrien shared the story of how she'd ended up in a movie theater with Adrien in her pajamas... and after that remarkable icebreaker, the conversation flowed as smoothly as the wine between the six of them.

After a little while, Marinette picked up the empty plate of hors d'oeuvres and headed to the kitchen. "Adrien... would you help me for a minute?" she asked.

"Certainly," he smiled. "If Audrey will let me..."

He slid the kitten off of his lap and stood up. Audrey looked up at him, perturbed that he was leaving, but then settled for stealing the warm spot that he had left behind him.

In the kitchen, Adrien saw Marinette slide the plate into the sink, then turn his way. "I just wanted to check with you," she whispered. "Are you all right with how this is going? An awful lot of the conversation is about you."

"I'm the new person in the group, and a familiar face in a new context. Of course they'll want to know about me," Adrien smiled. "I'm fine with it, and they're all very nice people." He added, "I don't know if I was ready for 'you got me through puberty...'"

Marinette suppressed a loud laugh. "That's Amy," she confirmed. "She can be about as subtle as a car fire sometimes. But she has such a good heart."

"Most definitely," agreed Adrien.

"I can't wait to make it up to you later... if you had that in mind," Marinette purred.

Adrien paused. "Would it be presumptuous of me if I had an overnight bag in my car?" he asked, lightly.

"Would it be wrong of me if I was hoping that you had?" she parried.

"Not at all," Adrien smiled. He looked her up and down, clearly enjoying the pleasant tension between them. "Underneath that dress... are you wearing what you told me you'd be wearing? What you showed me over the phone?"

Marinette smiled back, holding her voice low but steady. "Wouldn't you like to know?" she challenged him.

"You know... I think that I would."

He turned and looked behind him, making sure that they weren't visible from the living room, then crouched down just enough to slip his hand underneath the bottom of her midi-dress. Feeling no resistance from her, he looked up into her eyes as he let his fingers trail slowly up her right thigh.

"Adrien," she whispered, nervously, "this isn't the time or place for-"

"I know," he replied. "I'm just answering the question."

As he rose, his fingers slid from the top of her thigh to more along the inside of it. He felt the smooth stocking, then a lacy top.

Marinette let out a slight hiss of breath as she felt them reach bare skin. "Now you know," she declared, very quietly.

"Not yet, I don't," Adrien smiled, deviously. "The thigh-highs... most definitely. And while I can't reach high enough to check for the camisole that you had on..."

The feeling of skin against his fingers changed back to that of lace. "There they are," Adrien breathed.

"If they catch us at this... I will kill you," muttered Marinette.

"You haven't said 'stop' yet," countered Adrien.

When his fingers began gliding back and forth, extremely gently, Marinette clamped her legs together tightly to evict Adrien's hand, then pulled him into a brief, but passionate kiss. "Later," she demanded, whispering in his ear. "I want you to do that... _exactly_ that... until I can't think any more."

"And then?" he asked, expectantly.

"And then... keep going."

She gave him a knowing grin as she left, stopping at the entrance to the small kitchen. "You, ah... might want to wait for a minute before coming back with us," she noted.

Adrien blew her a kiss as she left... then closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The situation would indeed require a moment or two to recollect his composure.

* * *

"It's _NOOROO!_ "

The cry spread throughout the Kwamis' sanctum like wildfire. In an instant, Tikki and Nooroo were surrounded by happy and eager faces.

"I am - it is wonderful to - my _word!"_ gasped Nooroo, as he found himself overwhelmed by his mystical cousins' enthusiasm. Clearly, he needed to prepare himself to tell the story of his ordeal with Hawkmoth, possibly a few dozen times in rapid succession.

As Nooroo did his best to reply clearly, Tikki went in search of her usual companion. "Oh, Stinkysoooock!" she called, once in the vicinity of where she'd found him before. "There's someone here that you're going to want to talk to."

Plagg emerged, warily. "Oh, I'm sure that I know _who_ it is," he grumbled. "I'm surprised that Adrien let him come here, though."

"That answers my next question," Tikki stated. "Whether you knew that Adrien has the Moth now."

"I knew. I knew firsthand that Adrien had..." Plagg declared... then his face contorted with surprise. "Now, _how_ was I able to _say_ that so plainly?" he mumbled.

"Nooroo hinted to me that Adrien's loosening the reins on _him_ might have an effect on you as well," explained Tikki. "Though he couldn't, or _wouldn't_ say what had been holding you back. I'm pretty sure that I can guess."

Plagg stared at the hubbub surrounding Nooroo. "Let's go," he declared, with a grim smile. "Nooroo might not be the only one now with a story to tell."


	7. Slow and Steady Wins the Race

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The friendly get-together ends... and Marinette and Adrien have very definite ideas as to what comes next. 
> 
> Meanwhile, Nooroo and Plagg tell their stories... as much as they are able to... to the other Kwamis. Tikki and Nooroo head back to Marinette's apartment to see if they can set Plagg loose once more, to try and ensure that if Adrien confesses to Marinette, the _true_ whole story comes out. Emerging next to the Miracle Box in Marinette's bedroom closet, they find that they are a little late, because the bedroom is _very_ occupied.
> 
> In the afterglow, pillow talk goes to some interesting places regarding their past... and Adrien decides that it's time for a piece of his past to be spoken aloud.

Delicate, Chapter 7

* * *

Sixteen Kwamis sat in a semicircle, facing Plagg and Nooroo. Their joy at seeing Nooroo free of the evils of Hawkmoth remained substantial... but what Plagg had to say about it put something of a damper on their mood.

"So the Cat host's father had the Moth, and his mother had the Peacock?" asked Xuppu, not fully grasping it yet. "Right there in that house where I met that weird big kid?"

"Not his mother... his father's assistant. Although _she_ would have leapt at the chance to marry his father, his mother was still alive. That was what all of Hawkmoth's machinations were about; capturing the Ladybug and Cat and Wishing his wife back to health," explained Nooroo once more.

"Still... for the villain and the Cat to be that close together, all that time!" shuddered Daizzi. "Brrr!"

"Plagg... you sensed _nothing_ of Nooroo's presence while you were living there? In the same _house_ for _years_?" wondered Orikko, in mild disbelief.

"If I had, don't you think that I would have _done something_ about it?" growled Plagg. "Just like I wanted to do something - a _lot_ of somethings - once the truth came out. But that boy..."

"He confronted his father as he did to protect Ladybug," Pollen argued. "His _Lady._ You cannot argue that it was not at least in part a noble motivation."

"Pollen," glared Plagg, "don't try to defend him. Just _don't._ You don't know all of it yet."

"For what it is worth," Nooroo pointed out, "I did not sense Plagg's presence, either; the Master kept me on a very short leash. Nor did I realize that his assistant would actually use the Peacock; the Master was most insistent that it was off-limits, after what it had done to his wife."

"Exactly what _did_ Duusu do to-"

Plagg's eyes blazed, cutting off Roarr's question, and causing Tikki to float quickly to Plagg's side.

"Duusu did _nothing_ wrong. I know that much," she declared. "What happened to the boy's mother was not Duusu's fault. For now, leave it at that."

"I retract the question," Roarr noted, timidly. "I meant no offense."

"Plagg," asked Wayzz, as gently as he could. "You still feel compelled to keep certain things concealed?"

Plagg nodded, looking frustrated. "At least one thing, yes. Half of you have been under something similar at one time or another," he grumped.

"I have heard my young Master express considerable remorse. Towards you, towards his family, and..." Nooroo allowed that thought to trail off. "The fact that I am here now is a step towards reconciliation, I feel."

"There will be no reconciliation between me and him," declared Plagg, flatly. "Lines were crossed. _Too many_ lines were crossed. And if he and Ladybug are getting close..."

"That's _one_ way to put it," Tikki added, wryly.

"...then I need to get out there and put a stop to it, _pronto_."

"Is that your choice to make?" asked Wayzz. "I understand your fury, but it is her life and they are her choices. And it would not be our way to reject even a chance at redemption."

"Fine! I'll rephrase it. I need to get out there and make sure that Ladybug knows what he did! How everything ended back then," Plagg argued. "And she can make her choices then, with all the facts. Tikki, you got me out using Ladybug's cat before, right?"

"I did," Tikki confirmed. "But her apartment has a bunch of visitors right now - including _him_. That might not be so easy to pull off again."

"Go, _please,_ try it if you can!" pleaded Plagg. "Because if I can get him face to face, and he'll let me out of the _rest_ of this blasted pact... that's the whole ballgame right there."

* * *

The get-together wound down over time, as the conversations wandered and the wine slowed down and changed to lighter fare; after all, at least two of them would be driving that night.

Adrien excused himself for a brief bathroom trip, and while he was away, Marinette looked at her friends expectantly. "Well?" she asked. "What do you think?"

"You did good, kid," Peter smiled. "He's got my vote."

"I'm not going to say that I'm jealous," Amy grinned from ear to ear. "I'm not."

"You'd better not," Jacques kidded her. "Though I could tack his picture on my bedroom wall for you, if you need the help."

"Actually... nah. Not gonna say it out loud," blushed Amy. "Tonight went way too well to make anything weird! But, Marinette, how are you keeping your _hands_ off of him?"

Marinette debated whether or not to say it... then motioned Amy closer and whispered in her ear. The others caught the phrases " _he_ didn't" and "in the kitchen"; Peter let out an "Oooooh!" at the implications, which had Marinette turning red and Amy giggling loudly.

Gaii gave them all a knowing smile. "I think that I'll put the workroom coffeepot on very early tomorrow," she noted. "Just in case."

"I don't plan on being up all night..." argued Marinette.

"The _hell_ you don't," laughed Amy. "Because if you don't, I'll want to know why."

"Before we go off _too_ far that way, Marinette... I like him, too. There's something very genuine about him. Not quite what I'd expected," Gail added. "Might have a question for you tomorrow, but it can wait; it's nothing too important."

"That's fine. I'll give you whatever details you'll actually want to hear. And, Amy, I'll give _you_ whatever details that Adrien'll let me tell," Marinette giggled.

* * *

In the bathroom, Adrien washed his hands and paused for a moment.

"Nooroo? Are you around?" he murmured, just above a whisper.

After a minute, with no response, Adrien nodded. _I hope that his search is going well,_ he thought; _if it wasn't, I'd imagine that he'd be heading back to me to report in._

 _Actually..._ _it's hard to imagine that Tikki hasn't found him, if he's been poking around in private. Tikki would either be hiding on Marinette's person, and I didn't see any pockets on that dress... so either she was staying out of sight in the bedroom somewhere, or hiding... er... very well indeed?_

A mental image struck him of his reaching up under Marinette's skirt and pulling out a very unamused Kwami, and he had to stifle a very loud laugh.

_Well, it's not as if I'm leaving any time soon... Marinette certainly seems to want me to stay the night._

He pondered the implications of that. _I didn't bring Nooroo last time,_ he considered. _If Marinette and I are... busy, that will give Nooroo and Tikki a chance to talk. And THAT means that I had better get ready to come clean with Marinette about some things... lest Tikki tell her first. "How and why is NOOROO here?_ " _is a pretty big conversation stopper..._

_...and it deserves a pretty big answer._

* * *

After Adrien returned, the chatter continued for another half-hour or so.

Gail watched Adrien and Marinette exchange nervous grins... and made up her mind. "Peter... this has been delightful tonight, but I think that we ought to get going," she announced. "I have a couple of things to get done at home tonight, and I wouldn't want to impose."

"You are _so_ not imposing," protested Marinette, "though I suppose that it is nearly ten o'clock..."

"It is?" Jacques wondered. "Wow, it is. Amy... do you want to head out, too?"

"I guess so. This was great, and Adrien, it was _so_ nice finally getting to meet you!" Amy answered.

"The pleasure has been mine. I've enjoyed meeting all four of you, and I do hope that we'll do this again sometime," smiled Adrien, warmly.

"Next time, my place?" Amy declared. "Calling it now. Adrien, Marinette can give you the address, if you'll be available."

"Or mine," suggested Gail. "In fact, there was something at my place that I wanted Marinette's opinion on... can I take the next one, and you can double up after that?" 

"Fair enough," shrugged Amy. 

"How often do you usually do this kind of thing?" Adrien asked the group.

"Perhaps once a week? It depends on who's doing what else," Gail replied. "Sometimes it's all of us, sometimes not. We're always up for a plus-one, like tonight... or plus-whatever. It's usually very casual like this, though."

"Then I'll wager that you'll see me again very soon," Adrien said. "As long as Marinette keeps me around, anyway."

"Somehow I don't have a lot of doubt about that," smiled Peter.

* * *

At the front door, there were hugs and handshakes all around. "Now, don't do anything I wouldn't do tonight," giggled Amy.

"What exactly does that rule out?" smirked Marinette.

"Live animals, national monuments, and most vegetables," grinned Jacques, getting a mild punch in the shoulder from his girlfriend.

Once both couples had pulled away, Adrien turned to Marinette. "Do you think that they liked me?" he asked, innocently. "it seemed like it."

"Are you kidding?" Marinette laughed. "I think that Amy was ready to take you home with her. You clicked very well with all four of them."

"I was hoping for that. If I'm going to be a big part of your life... I want to fit into as much of it as I can." He slid an arm around her and added, "And that is something that I want very much."

"I'm very glad to hear that," beamed Marinette. "Why don't you go get that overnight bag, while we're near it and we're thinking of it?" she suggested.

"I probably should," Adrien agreed.

Marinette watched him stride over to his car and retrieve a small bag from the back seat, with which he returned. "This way, I don't have to go back for it later," he said.

"Adrien Agreste... you won't be dressed to go outside for much longer," Marinette declared, locking her front door.

* * *

Once in the bedroom, Marinette shut the door firmly - no feline interruptions _this_ time, though Audrey had gotten some petting from both of them on the way down the hall - and rushed into Adrien's arms, kissing him hard.

"Mmmmm! Someone's all charged up," Adrien grinned, once he could get a breath out.

"You... almost made me _explode..._ right there in the kitchen, earlier," Marinette panted. "I've been _aching_ for this ever since."

"So you want more of that?" Adrien murmured.

" _Yes._ "

"Then turn around for me."

Marinette turned to face the door, and felt Adrien's fingers undoing the small zipper on the back of the dress. It fell to the floor, leaving nothing but Marinette and a small assortment of black lace and satin.

"You like?" she breathed, looking back confidently.

"I _love,_ " Adrien replied. "And I want to show you just how much... and give you what you'd asked for."

He stepped backwards and sprawled out on the bed, still dressed, arranging the pillows behind him. "Come here, Marinette," he ordered her gently. "Come and lie in my arms."

Marinette did as she was told, a nervous thrill running through her. Adrien guided her so that she was lying on top of him at a slight angle, facing away, with her head comfortably on a pillow.

"Perfect," he cooed. "Now, close your eyes for me. I'm not going to do anything weird, I promise."

Once she'd closed them, he added, "But when we're curled up just like this, I can kiss your neck, your ears, your shoulders without moving at all. You can turn and kiss me -"

Which she did... very vigorously.

"Mmmmm, patience!" Adrien smiled. "Now, I can use this hand to explore that camisole that I couldn't see earlier..."

Marinette wriggled in his embrace as his hand wandered all over her upper half, the fabric smooth against her skin... then his fingers smooth against her skin, as they slid underneath her top.

"And the other hand is going right where you asked for it to go," he purred.

She gasped loudly as his fingers glided softly over lace, very slowly and deliberately, making tiny circles and back-and-forth motions.

Before much more of that, Marinette felt like she was about to combust. "H-harder," she panted. "Go underneath."

"Not yet," Adrien told her.

 _"Please!_ " Marinette whimpered. "I'm so close. I need to... _I need to!_ "

"You told me to do _exactly_ this, just this gently... until you couldn't think any more... and then keep going," he whispered in her ear. "And you can still think."

Her eyes opened and went wide at the implications... at just how much longer this sweet torture might continue, and how it was indeed precisely what she'd asked for... and then she turned her head towards his.

"Do it," she whispered back, looking helpless but sounding determined. _"Please_ don't stop! But when you're done... I am going to _tear those clothes off_ and ride a hole straight through this mattress."

"I was very much hoping that you'd say that," Adrien replied.

He allowed his fingers to move very quickly for just a second... but only for a second.

* * *

Tikki and Nooroo flew side-by-side through the portal in the Miracle Box.

"Are you all right?" asked Nooroo. "Some of that cannot have been easy for you to hear."

"For me to _hear_?" marveled Tikki. "You're the one who _lived_ it."

"You're not wrong, of course," shrugged Nooroo. "But I view it as I do most things. While it was an unpleasant experience, it is over now, and I am prepared for whatever will come next."

"A healthy attitude to have," Tikki replied. "Of course, as long as we have existed... a couple of years can seem like forever, but it can also be an eyeblink."

"What are we going to do about Plagg?" Nooroo wondered aloud.

Tikki stopped, as did Nooroo. "I don't think that we have a lot of choice now, do we?" she sighed. "He wants out, to confront Adrien and to tell Ladybug as much as he can. We can get him out, with a little help. I wanted Adrien to come clean with her first... but he's running out of time."

"I think that he's tired of running," mused Nooroo. "Between his nightmarish relationship with his father and the guilt that's been weighing on him all this time... he wants to get this into the open. But no part of it is the easiest thing to say aloud."

Tikki stared at Nooroo. "The last piece of the puzzle... is it what I think it is?" she asked. "The night that everything went down... Adrien made a very unfortunate choice, didn't he?"

"That is one way to put it," Nooroo stated. "But that is not my story to tell."

The pair emerged from the Miracle Box into Marinette's closet. "Okay," said Tikki. "Here's the Cat ring... and here's a box for it. Now, I just need to get the kitten in here again, without either Marinette or Adrien noticing..."

Nooroo froze. "Did you just hear that?" he asked.

"...How could I not?" sighed Tikki.

* * *

The two flew up to the louvers on the upper half of the closet door and peeped through one of them as best they could.

"Oh, _my_!" Nooroo declared.

Tikki looked on with wide eyes. The wail that had just emerged from Marinette and her shuddering body told Tikki that Adrien had just sent her rocketing over the edge... and quite possibly not for the first time in this position. He showed no signs of stopping, his fingers flickering rapidly, and she showed no signs of wanting him to.

"We... might be here for a while," Tikki said, in a resigned tone.

* * *

They watched as a quivering Marinette rolled out of Adrien's arms, turning around quickly and smothering him with kisses. She sat up and whipped her camisole off with one smooth motion.

"You have ten seconds to get naked," she ordered Adrien. "Or I'm _ripping those off of you_."

It took him closer to twenty, but she wasn't counting.

 _I hope that this doesn't mess Nooroo up,_ Adrien thought. _I'm not renouncing the brooch, I'm just setting it a short distance away with my clothes... that should be enough to keep him from disappearing._

Before Adrien could react again, he was flat on his back and Marinette was on top of him, effortlessly. She let out a loud moan as she arranged herself, and shuddered once again.

"Are... are you okay?" gasped Adrien. "If you want, I can-"

"A-Adrien... I am so _s-ssss-sensitive_ right now..." Marinette breathed, "I can barely m-move. I _need_ this. I need you just like this."

Her hips rocked, exquisitely slowly, and Adrien clutched at the bedsheet.

"I'm... I'm not gonna last long with you like this," he whimpered.

"Oh, yes, you are," Marinette grinned.

"What do you mean?" Adrien asked. "I'm telling you, I-"

"If there's one th-thing I've learned from being Ladybug all this time..." smiled his lady-love, "it's reading body language and ph-physical cues. It's part of my fighting style, kind of like spider-sense; part of me knows what someone's going to do before they do it. And _that_ m-means... I've never done this before like this, but it sure feels like it's working... I can feel every single _twitch_ you make. Every time your muscles tense. Every little detail of what you're feeling down there."

Adrien gaped in astonishment.

"I am r-right there, but so are you. I can feel it," giggled Marinette. "And I'm going to keep us _both_ there for a while. _Thiiiiiiis_ slowly."

"Oh, _God_ ," moaned Adrien. "I don't know if I can take this..."

"I don't know if I c-can, either," Marinette breathed. "I am _throbbing_ from head to toe."

"So w-we'll see... who cracks first?" Adrien gasped.

"Y-yeah," gasped Marinette, hanging on by a thread.

She clasped his hands in hers, and the two of them continued in a most delicate and intimate waltz of sorts... making love to each other with their eyes as much as with the rest of themselves.

* * *

Tikki floated down to the Miracle Box, prepared to wait them out. She looked up and noticed that Nooroo was still watching.

"Ahem," she coughed, very quietly. "You're not going to give them their privacy?"

"I am not," Nooroo noted, just as quietly. "I am admittedly curious. I have not seen this particular physical act in centuries! The old Master was about as sexual as an avocado, and I spent all those years in the rubble before him... and the Guardians' monastery wasn't exactly known for passion and carnal delight!"

"It cannot have changed _that_ much over the years," deadpanned Tikki.

Nooroo looked down at her with a smile. "Listen to our young hosts, Tikki," he declared. "The raw emotion they are producing in each other at this moment. You are not the least bit curious about that? About what this will mean for their relationship?"

Tikki pondered that for a moment.

Nooroo went back to studying the humans' movements, then felt a small flutter next to him.

"Maybe a _little_ curious _,"_ an embarrassed Tikki admitted.

* * *

The time for swift and decisive movement approached... arrived, most emphatically... and departed.

Two sweaty, exhausted lovers clung to each other, the covers kicked into a heap off the end of the bed, feeling perfectly content.

Adrien felt Marinette shake somewhat, and sensed that it was more from emotion than from exertion this time. "C'mere," he whispered. "As close as you want to."

Marinette took his invitation gladly and snuggled close, wiping her eyes with her fingers. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm... these aren't sad tears, at all. And they're just a couple of them."

"I know. I get that completely," Adrien assured her. "I'm fighting off some of my own."

"No one," Marinette insisted, "has ever made me feel like you do. _Ever_."

"I could feel how much you enjoyed that..." smiled Adrien, "but I can't be _that_ good at it. I barely have any experience."

"I don't, either, to be honest," said Marinette. "I had that one relationship that I'd mentioned..."

"That wasn't... Luka, was it?" Adrien wondered.

"Oh, no. Luka was... he was a sweetie, but we never, um... got that far," Marinette noted, quickly. "This was someone I met after you'd vanished; you wouldn't know him."

"It would've been okay if it was him," said Adrien. "It's not like you were under orders to save yourself for me, or anything like that."

"Oh, I know," she smiled. "Anyway... Daniel was his name. We were together for about a year, and it was... pretty good, I guess. But the sex just felt... well... mechanical."

"Mechanical?" wondered Adrien, not comprehending.

"I wanted to please him. He wanted to please him. So we'd do things, and they felt good, don't get me wrong... but he didn't seem all that concerned as to what I got out of it. Like I must've been over the moon every time just because it was _him,_ right?" explained Marinette. "I got pretty good with my fingers after a while, finishing myself afterwards. And there's a little something in my nightstand drawer that I call my Luckiest Charm."

"That doesn't sound like much of a relationship," frowned Adrien.

"It was... and it wasn't," admitted Marinette. "I got more from him in other ways than I did in the bedroom. He was kind, he was a good listener... he had a lot of other good qualities. But that, well, _incompatibility_ was one reason that we broke it off in the end."

"Whereas _you,_ " she grinned, sitting up to look into his eyes, "are so _different!_ I can feel it in your every touch, how much you want to get it right every time, to please me. To build it up into something wonderful that leaves us _both_ shaking. It's not about you or me, it's about _us_."

"I thought that that's how making love is _supposed_ to be," pondered Adrien.

"It's rarer than you think," Marinette countered. "And when you find someone who gets you that way, who's sweet and sexy and talented and caring like you are, Adrien... you grab that person and you never let go."

Her arms wrapped around Adrien's chest tightly. "Like this," she murmured.

* * *

Adrien laid there, silent, for long enough that Marinette wondered if he'd fallen asleep.

"Adrien?" she murmured.

"Marinette..." he said, very quietly. "I need to tell you something important."

"What is it?" asked Marinette, in a soft voice.

"It's nothing bad about _us,_ I promise you. I'm not married, I don't have kids, I don't have any girls in my life besides you," he assured her. "And I think I'm falling more in love with you with every minute that we're together."

"You really mean that?" she gasped.

"It's not because of the sex... though you are _beyond amazing_ at that, and I don't care what you say," Adrien told her. "It's not because you're Ladybug, either. It's because... Marinette... it's like what you just said. I feel like you and I _are_ connected like that. That you're the one person who understands me. That we were made for each other, and I'd do anything in the world to make you happy."

"I love you, too, Adrien," a quiet Marinette replied. "I have for a very long time."

"And I need to tell you a couple of things before this goes any farther," declared Adrien. "I want to be with you for a long time, Marinette. I want this to work. And there are things that you need to know for that to happen."

"Adrien?" Marinette said, sitting up abruptly. "You're scaring me."

"Don't be. I just need to tell you that... Okay. I, um..."

* * *

Tikki and Nooroo stared at the scene, wide-eyed.

"Do we need to move?" wondered Nooroo. "One could set off an airhorn next to them right now and I do not think that they would hear it, so we may have our chance."

"I think so," agreed Tikki. "If he's about to say what I think he is," she considered, "I think that you might be called upon any time now... and Plagg would have sixteen fits if he's stuck in the Box for _this._ And if what I fear is true... Plagg deserves that opportunity to confront him. But I need the kitten for that, so..."

Quickly, Tikki laid out a game plan, with Nooroo listening and nodding attentively.

* * *

"Marinette... Ladybug... the first thing you need to know is that on one very important occasion several years ago... you were completely right," Adrien began. "I've been hiding this truth for two years now, but... I can't any more."

"What truth is that, Adrien?" mumbled Marinette, her gaze riveted on him.

"I know Hawkmoth's secret identity. Who he was, back when there was a Hawkmoth."

"You _what?"_ gasped Marinette. "Who? _How?_ Adrien, what are you _talking about?_ "

The closet door opened, as quietly as the two Kwamis could manage it. A moment later, a small red blur darted through the bedroom door, pushed the door handle down, and began straining against the resistance of the bedroom's thick carpeting.

"I didn't think that it was true then. But I was wrong, and he fooled us both," Adrien tried to explain, haltingly.

"Who fooled us? The only person that I ever accused of being Hawkmoth was-"

Marinette froze up, the first of several awkward truths smacking her across the face.

"Oh, _ADRIEN! NO!"_ she cried out.

"Hawkmoth was my father, Gabriel Agreste. From the very beginning," Adrien stated. "And I can prove it."

Marinette gave him a look that spelled out _I don't want you to prove it, I'm begging you not to prove it... but I NEED you to prove it, right now._

Adrien gathered his courage, rehearsing his next sentence in his head. _And the only way that I could have known that, of course, is that for all those years, I was your partner, Chat N-_

A tiny voice piped up, clearing its throat before it spoke. "I believe that I am the proof that you require," it stated.

* * *

Startled out of her wits, Marinette whipped her head around and found herself staring into the face of a tiny purple Kwami... one of the only two missing from her collection.

"I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Dupain-Cheng," smiled Nooroo, "at long last."


	8. Does Anyone ELSE Want To See Me Naked?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nooroo? In Marinette's bedroom? It's more likely than you think.
> 
> Marinette is rather startled by her unexpected guest; partly because of what his presence implies, partly because, um, she and Adrien were just having passionate sex in the same room ten minutes ago, weren't they?
> 
> But that's just the first surprise of the evening. Tikki enlists Audrey's help -- though not without a little difficulty -- in getting yet another visitor to arrive, one that Adrien is less than enthusiastic about seeing again. And at long last, the story begins to unfold...

Delicate, Chapter 8

* * *

Marinette stared into the face of her quite unexpected visitor, with an expression of complete shock on her face. Suddenly, her being naked and still quivering a bit was the least of her worries.

"Nooroo," she murmured, barely believing it. "You're _Nooroo!_ "

"Indeed," Nooroo confirmed, bowing slightly in the air before her. "I apologize for all of the trouble that I have caused you... though I did not have any choice in the matter, of course."

"No... no, you wouldn't have," marveled Marinette. She suppressed the urge to reach out and touch Nooroo, to confirm that this wasn't some kind of bizarre post-coital hallucination.

She heard some sort of thumping noise out in her hallway, but ignored it for the moment. It had to be Audrey getting into something, but whatever it was couldn't possibly be more important than _this!_

* * *

Tikki flew around the apartment as fast as she could, hampered slightly by her precious cargo. _It's not that it's that heavy,_ she noted, _but the box is about as big as I am, and my hands aren't very large..._

She scanned the likely locations - not in the kitchen, not in her bed, not on the sofa - and finally located Audrey curled up near the front door, in mid-nap.

"Okay, kitty," Tikki muttered. "I'm sorry to bother you, but I need your help again."

At the sound of her voice, Audrey half-opened one sleepy eye, taking in the situation... then closed it again, stretched her paws out and then resumed her original ball shape.

"Oh, come on," grumbled Tikki. "It's me! The red bug-mouse you chased the other day. Don't you want to come and get me again?"

The eye opened partway once again. Audrey considered the tiny red temptation before her... then saw the black box next to it, and put two and two together. When she'd knocked that over the other day, that other weird cat in the air had showed up... and it hadn't seem interested in playing with her then. Was it worth the effort to make it come out now?

"Yeah, come on now..." Tikki encouraged her. "Come and get me. It. Come and get it!"

Audrey's nose wrinkled a bit as she sniffed her surroundings. Grudgingly, she rose to a crouching position and padded forward, examining the box with her sensitive nose and a tentative paw. There was no immediate response... so she glared at Tikki momentarily, and then flopped back down on the floor once again, with her back to Tikki and the box.

"Oh, no, you don't," Tikki declared, looking determined. She floated over next to Audrey's head, lifting up one of her ears very gently...

_"Phhhhhbbbblllblblbppt!"_

As Audrey whirled around, Tikki dove behind the box containing the Cat Miraculous, her eyes peeping up over the top, luring her into position.

 _Blowing a raspberry at a cat may not be the most dignified thing I've done this week,_ she giggled to herself, _but it worked!_

* * *

Marinette sat back on her bed, looking back and forth between Nooroo and Adrien anxiously.

"Okay!" she said, once her state of shock lessened slightly. "I... believed you already, Adrien, but I really can't argue with _this_."

"Indeed," Nooroo said, lightly. "Mast... Adrien has been taking good care of me since he acquired me."

"Adrien... I really, _really_ need you to explain this to me," murmured Marinette, in a worried tone. "I mean, this explains a lot, but now I have a million other questions! Did he _give_ the Miraculous to you? Did you take it, somehow?"

"Oh, I took it," Adrien began. "And you deserve to hear the whole story... and you're about to."

* * *

He took a deep breath. "This all happened around two years ago," he said. "I was at home on what seemed like an ordinary day. I happened to be looking into my father's atelier; Nathalie was in there, working on something, and I had a question for her but didn't want to disturb her. You've been in there at least once, as Ladybug, right? It's the room with that fancy portrait of my mother."

"Yes... I do remember that," Marinette agreed. "Done up like one of the old-time artists. I forget which one."

"Gustav Klimt... but that's not important," explained Adrien. "But what _is_ important about that room is that all of a sudden, my father _appeared_ in it, rising up out of the _floor!"_

_"...What?"_

"There was some kind of hidden... elevator platform in the floor," said Adrien. "I was completely startled; I mean, where in the heck did _that_ come from? So I hung back around the corner and tried to listen in on their conversation. I couldn't hear all of it from that far away... but I could tell that they were discussing what had happened with an Akuma. Spice Oddity, it was called; the one that looked like a glam-rock singer, and tried to blast you and Chat with clouds of spices and herbs."

"Oh, yes," smiled Marinette. "That one was hard to forget. A lot more dangerous than he looked; have you ever taken a shot of ground habanero pepper to the face? _Not_ a lot of fun."

"But I was wondering... how did my _father_ know as much as he did about what happened? It hadn't been on the news yet. And what was up with that elevator? So I waited for them to leave, and I did a little bit of snooping. I found where the platform was, and found a handful of little buttons hidden in the portrait. I assumed that they were what activated it, but I didn't want to push the wrong ones and set off an alarm or something."

"A wise decision," Nooroo noted. "They were booby-trapped in such circumstances."

"It just didn't look good," Adrien sighed. "He'd been suspected once of being Hawkmoth, and with good reason. There was that book about the Miraculous that I'd found in the house that time. Hawkmoth had gained a female partner, Mayura... and she was about the same build as Nathalie was."

"And you didn't have my phone number or any way to contact me..." said Marinette. "At least, you didn't know that you did!"

"I... thought about that. If I really needed to get your attention, I could've found a way," Adrien admitted. "But I needed to know for _sure_ first. To find out that he really was this terrorist... and to find out why."

"Adrien... what did you _do?"_ gasped Marinette. "I mean... someone with a Miraculous, _any_ Miraculous, can become incredibly dangerous just by saying two words. You didn't have... you didn't go in and confront him _without_ a Miraculous of your own, did you?"

"No, I didn't," Adrien replied.

" _No. He DIDN'T."_

* * *

All present spun around at once at the sound of the unexpected voice.

Adrien took one look at who had arrived and flailed backwards, rolling off the end of the bed by accident. He hit the floor with a loud _THWUMP!_ and scrambled back to a crouching position, a look of undisguised fear in his eyes.

"Well, _hello there,_ asshole!" Plagg glared down at him. "Fancy meeting you again."

* * *

The expression on Marinette's face was priceless, as she whipped her head back and forth between Plagg and Adrien.

" _Plagg?_ " she yelped. "What... _how..._ what are _you_ doing out of the box?"

"Uh... hello, Plagg," mumbled Adrien, very cautiously. "You look well."

"I've been better," Plagg snarled. "But you'd know that, right?"

"I, um..." stammered Adrien, scrambling for the right words - any words - to say to him. "It's good to see you. Even if you've kind of caught me with my pants down here..."

"Down? More like they're gone," snickered Plagg. "Though from what Tikki told me, doing your thinking with _that_ has gotten you into lots of trouble lately."

"Hey!" snapped Marinette. "I am not going to be ignored here. Plagg..."

"You _are_ pretty hard to ignore like that," Plagg granted her.

Marinette followed his eyes, remembered that she was stark naked, and made a token effort to cover herself with her hands... then reassumed a confrontational pose. "Oh, what do _you_ even care about that? You're a _Kwami_ ," she argued. "And stop changing the subject. What are you _doing_ out here? And why are you so angry at Adrien?"

"I had a little help getting out," admitted Plagg.

"And what does _that_ mean?" demanded Marinette. A realization came over her, and her face shifted to worry. "Wait. If you're out... where is the _ring_ at now? And who has it?"

"Marinette... this wasn't your doing? You didn't bring Plagg out yourself?" Adrien wondered.

"No! And if it wasn't either of us..."

* * *

Tikki took that opportunity to flutter into the room. A ball of white fluff followed her, leaping up onto the bed carrying a small black ring in her mouth, looking at all of the new and interesting sights around her.

" _Audrey?_ " gasped Marinette.

She closed her eyes and tried to focus for a moment. " _Okay!_ " she shouted. "I am _confused,_ and I am _naked,_ and I am making _no sense_ out of any of this, and I need to use the _bathroom,_ and I'll be _right back._ Nobody move! Nooroo... can you keep things from exploding in here _and_ keep my cat from eating a priceless Miraculous until I get back?"

"I... will try," Nooroo replied, looking nervous. "Oh, dear."

"Plagg... Adrien... _behave_. And, Tikki..."

Her hand swept out and snatched her faithful Kwami out of the air. _"You,_ " Marinette insisted, "are coming with me."

The boys heard Tikki mumble, "I would've come with you _anyway!"_ as the two of them left the room.

* * *

Marinette slammed the bathroom door shut, flopped down onto the toilet, and slumped forwards quietly with her face in her hands. Tikki floated nearby, waiting for Marinette to speak.

"You know," a quiet voice began, "I spent a very long time being in love with Adrien Agreste. We just made love again, and it was so _perfect_. He just told me that he's _falling in love_ with me. I pictured all of that in my head so many times over the years, in so many different ways."

Marinette looked up, rather accusingly, at a worried Tikki. "But I can't say that I'd ever imagined it happening quite like _this_. So, what, was Plagg watching Adrien and I the whole time?"

"N-no," Tikki told her. "He's only been out of the box for a minute or two. So... no. No Plagg. Er... full disclosure, though? Nooroo and I _were_ watching. Just out of curiosity."

Marinette's stare could've put a hole in the far wall.

"You two _are_ very well-matched that way," offered Tikki. "Very considerate of each other's needs. I'm just saying."

"Leaving my sex life out of this for a minute," hissed Marinette, "there's something bigger going on here. I think I've figured _how_ Audrey ended up with the Cat Miraculous in her mouth. But _why_ would you have done that? Especially right _now?_ "

"Because I have heard most of the story... all that I was able to hear so far," Tikki declared. "It's a story that you need to hear, and that Adrien was about to tell you... but Plagg deserves to be there for it, too. Because only he and Adrien know the whole truth."

Marinette clasped her head again, her head swimming. "I _know_ that Adrien and Chat knew each other _,_ " she noted. "And Chat vanished about the same time that Hawkmoth did... and if Hawkmoth was Adrien's father... yeah, that makes sense that something happened between the three of them. But what?"

Tikki stared down at her. "You _still_ don't get it?" she marveled.

A worried Marinette stared back. "No, I _don't_. But if you're that surprised that I don't..." she parried.

"Look. Just... freshen up a bit, okay? I'm sure that you weren't kidding about needing the bathroom for a minute, after... yeah," Tikki ventured. "Take a deep breath, compose yourself, and we'll go back in there together and we'll all talk this out."

"Fine," Marinette grumbled. "But we are _not_ done talking about this, just you and me."

* * *

A few minutes later, Marinette re-entered her bedroom and witnessed a standoff. Plagg and Adrien were facing each other from opposite sides of the bed, with Audrey in front of Adrien - _Oh my GOSH! That is so cute, she's protecting him!_ a small part of Marinette's brain squeed - and Nooroo floating from side to side, pleading with all present to maintain decorum.

"You, uh, want to explain this?" Marinette glared at Plagg.

"He was pointing that thing at me. It might go off," argued Plagg, still circling menacingly.

Marinette sighed. "First off, I can _vouch_ that it won't go off again for a while. Second, _ewww,"_ she declared. "Now, talk. Why are you so angry at Adrien?"

Plagg tried to speak... then looked furious. "I literally _can't_. Not the part that I want to say, anyway," he barked. "And that's his fault."

"All right. Adrien?" asked Marinette, turning his way. "Care to explain yourself?"

"How about we all sit down on the bed... and I'll tell you everything," Adrien proposed. "As I saw it, as I remember it. And Plagg can verify that it's accurate."

"You're damn right I will," Plagg snapped at him.

"Okay... let's do that," said Marinette.

She climbed onto the pillow-end of the bed and tucked her legs beneath her, Adrien sitting across from her at the other end, with the three Kwamis in the middle. "There aren't any _more_ of you out perving on us, are there?" Marinette asked, as an afterthought.

"It is just the three of us," Nooroo told her. "And I _do_ apologize for violating your privacy, both of you! It's just that... it had literally been hundreds of years since I had last seen..."

"I get it. That's enough for now," Marinette waved him off. "Adrien... tell me what I need to know, please."

Adrien took a deep breath.

* * *

"I left off where? ...Okay. When I was interrupted, I'd just said that I was sure that my father was involved with Hawkmoth. He might've _been_ Hawkmoth, and Nathalie Mayura; that seemed the most likely answer," Adrien began. "Which meant that if it was true, I was in a mansion with two very dangerous people with two very dangerous magical artifacts. I didn't think that they would let either one of them far from their hands."

"And you couldn't exactly ask 'Hey, Father, there's something that I need to know about you...'" Marinette concurred. "Whether it was true _or_ false, that's not a question that you can really ask."

"And like I said before... I thought about finding a way to contact you, calling you in, and having you confront him with me," Adrien said, looking at Marinette with sad eyes. "But... well... it was complicated. I had to know for sure. If it was true, well... the implications for me, on my family... I wasn't ready to face that yet. And as deadly as Hawkmoth can be, I... I didn't want my Lady in danger, facing him again. Not if I could possibly end that danger on my own."

"That was _insane._ " Marinette's eyes were bright and accusing. "Adrien... _you_ were putting yourself in harm's way to keep _Ladybug_ safe. You know how crazy that sounds, right?"

"Maybe... a little. But not as much as you'd think," Adrien countered. "Trust me."

"...But you didn't know if he had a Miraculous for sure, or where he kept it," suggested Marinette, not all that convinced that she should yet.

"Right. So I had one tool left in my arsenal that _could_ go in silently, root around, and verify the truth without making a sound," gulped Adrien. "Because he'd done it before, very well. Being able to float through walls helps a lot with that."

Marinette's face turned rather pale.

"...My Kwami, Plagg."

* * *

Years of clues, of subtle hints, of coincidences, of suspicions, of denials... they all came crashing down around Marinette at once.

Years of her life flashed before her eyes in rapid succession, but with full clarity for the very first time. It was if she'd thought that she'd gone deaf many years ago, but simply hadn't realized that she had always been wearing earplugs.

"...No," she whispered.

"Yes," Adrien replied.

"... _No_ ," Marinette repeated. "This can't be the truth. It just _can't!_ "

"It is," said Adrien, quietly. He looked down at Tikki for support.

"Marinette... he's telling you the truth," Tikki agreed. "Plagg, can you confirm this?"

 _"...Now_ I can," Plagg spat out. " _He_... was my host from the beginning. From the very first day that you two met, until I got shoved into an envelope and sent back to you."

Adrien watched his love's face contort with a variety of emotions, all at once. He felt something in his gut twist uncomfortably, even more so because he knew that this was just the beginning.

"Marinette... I was your partner. I was Chat Noir," he said, flatly.

* * *

Adrien wasn't at all sure what to expect next from Marinette. He braced himself as he watched her reactions, readying himself for just about anything.

Her response was... remarkably subdued, compared to what he thought was most likely.

"I... I don't..." she managed, slowly. "I don't know how to... process this yet. I can't. Adrien...!"

 _I... oh, God,_ her thoughts raced. _You were right there by my side all those times... throwing yourself at me, and I kept saying no! And... but then, you just VANISHED on me..._

"I'm sorry," Adrien apologized. "I am so sorry that I didn't tell you right away, once I knew that you were Ladybug... but as Ladybug, you never _wanted_ to know. You had made that very clear to me, many times, and I had to find out if that had changed with time, or-"

Marinette cut him off with watery eyes and a hand gesture. "St-stop," she directed him. "Not now. There is much more to the story, isn't there?"

Adrien nodded, as did Plagg.

"Then tell it all, first. Keep going. Maybe then my world will make a little s-sense," Marinette replied.

* * *

"All right," Adrien nodded. "I waited until late that night, around two in the morning, when I was sure that everyone would be asleep. I went outside my father's bedroom door and asked Plagg to snoop around. 'Find anything that even LOOKS like a Miraculous,' I told him. 'You can look in locked drawers, wall safes, hidden compartments, lots of places that I can't reach. If it's there to be found... find it for me. Please.'"

Plagg looked at Marinette and added, "Uh-huh. So I did. I rummaged around in every nook and cranny I could find. Tied some of his underwear in knots while I was there, found his secret stash of naughty magazines - you wouldn't _believe_ what floats his boat! Lots of fun stuff. And then, finally, I checked the nightstand on the far end of the bed."

"Did you find the Moth Miraculous?" asked Marinette.

Nooroo spoke up, abruptly.

"He found _me_."

* * *

"Now, that was both good _and_ very bad," Plagg explained. "Good because it confirmed for sure what we thought was true. Bad because, well, there went Adrien's life as he knew it out the window, right? And because Nooroo looked scared out of his wits."

"I was under a number of orders by my Master," Nooroo sighed. "That I was not to speak with another person without his leave. I could speak with another _Kwami_... that may have been bending the rules a bit, but I found myself able to... but another order was that if I encountered an intruder, I was to tell him immediately. And Plagg certainly counted as one of _those_."

"Now... I couldn't very well tell him while he was _asleep_ , could I?" continued Nooroo. "I had just that much wiggle room to operate under. But I was already feeling compelled to go and wake him."

"You couldn't disobey that?" asked Marinette. "At all?"

"Not well," Nooroo explained. "When a legitimate Master gives their Kwami a direct and binding order... well, a good Master wouldn't do such a thing, so _you_ wouldn't have experience with that sort of thing, Marinette. But when it is done with less noble intent, it is more of a compulsion than an agreement, for as long as they are our host. And if an agreement is reached and the Kwami enters into such a thing _willingly_... such a binding can last far longer than that."

He shot an apologetic glance at Plagg, who glared back but said nothing.

"So I told him, as quickly as I could, about what I was laboring under," Nooroo said. "What I would have to do momentarily. How little time there was left in which to act. And that if his young Master was looking for my Miraculous... which was _certainly not_ in a small, locked case in a nearby dresser drawer with the passcode S-P-6-0-9..."

"Just saying that much, I thought the top of Nooroo's head was going to blow off," Plagg sympathized. "He did everything he could. So I rushed out into the hallway again, and I told Adrien... 'You don't have _time_ to summon Ladybug. This is it. You and him, one-on-one. But his Miraculous is in this dresser drawer, the passcode is this, and you have seconds to act!'"

"And I didn't hesitate at all before saying... Claws out."

* * *

Hearing the words out loud, a small part of Marinette expected a white flash and a transformation... but none came from this retelling. _Of course not,_ she smiled, thinly. _My cat is busy batting one of the most powerful mystical artifacts ever created around my bedsheets._

"I ran inside and made a beeline for that drawer. Father started to wake up as I ran by... so I flipped his mattress as hard as I could, and sent him flying across the room," Adrien recalled. "By the time that he gathered his senses, I was standing over him with the Moth Miraculous gripped in my hand."

"And for the first time in two years... I felt even partially free," Nooroo smiled.

"I expected Father to either make a grab for it, or to try to run... I knew him well enough to know that he wouldn't grovel or beg," said Adrien. "But he just stared at me... with this stupid smile on his face. Like he wanted to laugh... and then he did."

"He looked up at me... and he told me, 'Finally... this day has come, my son. The day that you _join_ me.'"

* * *

Marinette looked at Adrien with horror on her face. "You... _didn't_ ," she made herself say.

"No, I _didn't,"_ insisted Adrien. "And I'm a little hurt that you even _said_ that."

"You might as well have," Plagg snarled.

 _"Plagg,"_ Marinette replied, turning his way. "Is there anything that he's said so far that isn't completely true?"

"No, there isn't," admitted Plagg, grudgingly. "But we're just getting started."

"Then let him talk."

Marinette looked back at Adrien. "Go on," she said, softly... but with no indication that she was ready to approve of anything yet.

* * *

"I had his Miraculous. He couldn't hurt me," Adrien continued. "So I laughed at him; I told him that I would never join him, that I was going to see that justice was done. And then, like a complete idiot... I listened to him. I let him explain what it was that he'd been trying to do."

"Marinette..." he sighed, "do you remember how my mother had disappeared from my life, and how even I wasn't sure what had happened to her? How my father was evasive at best whenever I asked him about her?"

"Y-yes," answered Marinette, with a rapidly growing chill of horror running down her spine.

" _She_ had the Peacock, years ago," explained Adrien. "On a trip to Tibet, Father located the Moth and the Peacock. I don't know all the details, but those were the two that Master Fu had lost, somehow... and, somehow, Father worked out how and where to find them."

"That... does check out," mused Marinette. "Master Fu had told me a little bit of those stories, though he had no idea that your father knew of any of it."

"But the Peacock was damaged, and when Mother attempted to use it... it nearly destroyed her. It put her into a magical coma, for lack of a better term," said Adrien, "and she's been in a state of suspended animation ever since. I'm not sure where... or at least he didn't tell me then."

"So _that's_ what his goal was? Not to destroy us, or to take over the world..." Marinette reasoned.

"But to get the Ladybug and the Cat and to cast the Wish that would undo what had happened, and would restore my mother," Adrien said. "And, yes, he knew of the cost that such a Wish might require. I do not think that he cared."

Marinette absorbed that, silently.

"He used both the carrot and the stick. He told me that if I joined him, if I betrayed you and took your Miraculous, that he could bring my mother back to life and health and put our family back together again," whimpered Adrien. "That I might even be able to keep the Miraculous afterwards, and even give yours back to you! I didn't believe that then, and I don't now..."

"That bastard wouldn't give up that kind of power willingly. _Ever,"_ Plagg declared.

"But if I did what I wanted to do, to drag his ass to jail myself and expose him to the world... that would be the end of _my_ life as I knew it. My father, the infamous superterrorist! Agreste Fashions would fold overnight. The family name would be synonymous with terrible crimes. Everything I knew, everything he'd built, _everything about my life_ would go away in an instant. And with that... would go any chance of saving my mother, as well."

"Shouldn't have mattered."

* * *

Adrien glared at Plagg's statement. "Shut up, Plagg," he growled.

"Yeah, _shut up, Plagg_ ," he retorted. "You sure made sure of _that_ , didn't ya?"

Marinette looked back and forth between the two of them. "For someone who says that he can't say anything pertinent," she noted, "you've been pretty talkative so far, Plagg."

"Because... you'll find out," he grumbled. "We're far from done."

"He's not entirely wrong," Adrien added, morosely. "Because it _shouldn't_ have mattered. I should've been better. I should've been _stronger_... and not a scared little boy, being offered what he wanted most in the world, and being told that if it didn't happen, it was _his fault_."

"Adrien..." murmured Marinette.

"I had a city depending on me. I had my _partner_ depending on me. And instead of standing by them both, no matter what the cost, no matter what it took... I was selfish, and I was confused. And I held back."

"Adrien... what did you _do_?" she begged.

"I started to tell him that I would make a deal with him. That I would take the Moth and that he would never see it again. That I would talk with Ladybug, explain the situation as best I could... and see if it would be even possible for the two of us to help my mother," Adrien explained. "That he would spend _whatever it took_ to make it up to the city that he'd terrorized... and in return, that I would not expose him. I would give up the Cat in either case, so that he would not have its temptation nearby. And we would try, however impossibly, to live with each other afterwards, knowing that you and Paris were now safe."

* * *

The room fell silent.

"What... what did he say to that?" Marinette asked, hesitantly.

"I'm not sure. Because I got about ten words in... and then the truck hit me."


	9. When Truth is Pointy and Sharp

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With a wide-eyed Marinette and three Kwamis listening closely... Adrien concludes his story of what happened the night that he confronted his father.
> 
> Knowing what she knows now about what Adrien did, and why, and why Plagg is so angry... what will Marinette consider doing next?

Delicate, Chapter 9

* * *

"A _truck?_ "

Marinette stared hard at Adrien. "You were on the second floor of the mansion. How did..." she trailed off.

"Sorry. It was the metaphor that came to mind," smiled Adrien. "What I meant was... something smashed into me from behind and sent me _flying!_ I'd been hit harder than that... but I couldn't remember when. And when I rolled to a stop and turned to face whatever it was... Mayura was standing there between Father and I, looking absolutely furious."

He described the scene for them in detail...

* * *

" _GET AWAY FROM HIM!"_ Nathalie howled at Chat.

Slowly, Chat made sure that his jaw was still attached, then extended his baton and went into a defensive stance... until Gabriel intervened.

"Stop! _"_ he croaked, weakly. "Nathalie, stop!"

"That answers _that_ question," Chat smirked. 

"My son... is not here to hurt me," said Gabriel. "If the two of you would simply power down... we can discuss this in a civilized manner, instead of wrecking my bedroom."

* * *

"Mayura didn't like that very much... but she did as he asked, turning back into Nathalie," Adrien told Marinette. "So I powered down, too. They both knew who I was already, and if either of them made any move at me, two words and I'd be Chat again before they could reach me."

* * *

"How _did_ you know?" Adrien asked his father, who was slowly returning to his feet.

"Who else would be here, in this time and this manner?" Gabriel replied. "I had my suspicions for quite some time... but you quelled them for a bit, with some derring-do and the help of a friend. But seeing you up close like this, in this context... a father knows his son."

"But I don't know my _father_ any more," barked Adrien.

"You have no idea why he's doing what he's doing, do you?" snarled Nathalie; the emotionless woman was anything _but_ where Gabriel was concerned, it seemed. "This is for _your sake!_ "

"I have explained that to him, just now," Gabriel intoned, calmly. "He has a decision to make... and I trust that he will do so wisely."

* * *

In the present, Adrien took a long, deep breath before continuing.

"I didn't know what to do. I had Father's Miraculous... but Nathalie was a different story. She was on her guard, and I didn't know if I could get hers away from her and watch my father at the same time," he explained. "So I turned to the Kwamis for advice."

Nooroo hung his head, somewhat. "I will admit that I begged Adrien to do _something_ just to get me away from that man. _Anything_. Run away, call Ladybug, call the French Foreign Legion, anything to end the nightmare that I had been living for good. It was not my proudest moment."

Plagg piped up, "And I couldn't blame you for that. Don't put yourself down, Nooroo." He turned to Marinette and added, " _I_ told Adrien that this wasn't even a choice. This was _why_ he had been given the Cat in the first place; to take this man in. He'd terrorized the city, he'd nearly killed people, he'd _tortured a Kwami_ for years, basically. This is his _duty."_

"And I looked over at Duusu, who was circling around Nathalie frantically," Adrien said. "He... well... didn't seem to quite understand _what_ was going on."

"Duusu was not well," Plagg snapped. "And you knew that! I'd told you that. He was as much of a prisoner as Nooroo was, and with a busted Miraculous... he wasn't responsible for his actions or how he was being used. He was out of his mind."

"You had told me that, yes."

Marinette wondered aloud, "Do either of you know where Duusu is now? Mayura disappeared about the same time that Hawkmoth did, and... um..."

Plagg's face erupted in fury, and his mouth opened... but no sound came out.

Nervously, Adrien continued his story.

* * *

"This can only end in one of two ways, Adrien," Nathalie declared, calmly. "With you returning the Moth to your father... or with me taking it from your body. That is your decision to make."

She began to walk forward slowly, approaching Adrien, with her hand extended to accept the Moth and Cat Miraculous from him. As he backed away, equally slowly, a coughing fit consumed her momentarily; she waved off Gabriel's expression of concern, with frustration in her eyes.

"...Not again!" wailed Duusu.

Adrien's eyes went wide as he made the connection. "Nathalie..." he gasped, " _that's_ what was causing your illness? The _Peacock_ _Miraculous?"_

Plagg tried to interject something, but Adrien wasn't listening. "It hurt my mother... and it's been hurting you," Adrien said. "You need to stop!"

"Nathalie," thundered Gabriel, "we thought that we had fixed it, but if your degeneration has returned... I _forbid_ you to do this."

Duusu flitted around Nathalie nervously, examining her from several angles. "Um, wow!" he exclaimed. "This isn't... a good thing. Listen, everybody... I don't mean to be rude and get in the way here, but this _might_ be a great time for us all to just go down to the kitchen, maybe have some ice cream-"

"I _will not fail you_ ," Nathalie told Gabriel, without taking her eyes off of Adrien. "I will not."

As she got closer, Adrien begged her, "I don't want to hurt you, Nathalie. I don't want you to hurt _yourself. Don't do this!"_

She was silent.

Finally, seeing no other choice, Adrien gasped, "Plagg... claws out!"

Seeing his transformation, she allowed herself a cold smile. "Fine," she declared. "We'll do it that way. Duusu... s _pread my feathers."_

* * *

"The fight ranged all over the mansion," Adrien told Marinette. "I was trying to hold back as much as I could, but Mayura was relentless, and this was for keeps. If she defeated me... well, you know what that would've meant. She was a surprisingly good hand-to-hand fighter, and she was obsessed... and she wouldn't stop talking."

He closed his eyes before continuing.

"'I will never, ever stop,' she kept saying. 'You can beat me up, you can knock me down, but I will never stop coming for you, wherever you run to. I will target your friends. I will target your teachers. I will target everyone you care about until you give me those Miraculous. And since Ladybug seems to keep picking kids from the same school to be her allies... if I rip through your class and your school, it won't be long until I've captured _her_ through process of elimination, will it? And then I will use _that_ to take you down."

"Mayura even threatened _you_ ," Adrien added. "'Maybe I'll start with that pigtailed girl I've seen you gazing at. Oh, yes, I've watched you watching her,' she cackled. 'One weak moment is all it'll take, and I'll raise a Sentimonster that will smash her little bakery to splinters. And then another of your friends, and then another, until you give us what we need."

Marinette pictured her parents in the path of such a monstrosity, and shuddered.

"I watched her carefully," sighed Adrien. "As carefully as I could while we fought. She really meant it. I don't know if it was the damaged Miraculous twisting her, or if she was that _broken_ deep down... but this seemed like pure evil staring me in the face. And I had to do something, and fast."

* * *

Mayura lunged at Chat, twice, three times... and, finally, one time too many. He dodged the last attack, swept her legs out from under her, and cut loose with a flurry of rapid blows that left the villainess prone and stunned.

Chat reached down to Mayura's chest, grasping the Peacock Miraculous... and yanked hard, trying to dislodge it. It came partially free; one more hard pull would probably have ripped it loose from her costume.

" _NO!_ " Mayura gasped. "That's _mine! You will not-_ "

"I think that it's done quite enough damage already," frowned Chat. "But I can fix that."

He took a deep breath...

" _CATACLYSM!"_

* * *

Marinette froze in place on the bed, looking utterly aghast.

"You... you _destroyed_ a Miraculous?" she whispered. "You Cataclysmed the _Peacock?_ For real?"

 _"Yes, he did,"_ Plagg bellowed, the words finally able to be spoken aloud. Anger was pouring out of him... and for perhaps the first time in ages, many tears, as well.

"I _needed to protect everyone_ ," Adrien stammered, defensively. "I didn't have a choice-"

" _YOU ALWAYS HAVE A CHOICE,_ " Plagg bawled. "You had the Peacock in your _hand_. You could have taken it from her, taken it to Ladybug, and they both would have been powerless. We could've tried to use the Book and Master Fu's notes and everything else to fix it. _And_ Duusu with it! Nathalie and your father couldn't have done a thing to stop you, once you took that away from her. All you had to do was _think_ for two seconds. But, _no;_ you just had to _destroy it._ To get your little revenge."

Adrien went silent.

"Do you know what happens when a Miraculous is destroyed, Marinette?" Plagg shouted. "It can't kill a Kwami; nothing can. But it separates the Kwami from this plane of existence, from solid form, until some other focus links to it the same way. But there probably isn't anyone left on this _planet_ who knows how to do that any more! Which means that Duusu - poor scatterbrained, damaged Duusu - is out there in the ether somewhere, floating around in space, wondering what to do next. _Alone._ Probably _f_ _orever._ "

"Oh, no," Marinette gasped.

"And there's not a whole lot in this universe that _can_ destroy a Miraculous. Damage it, maybe, but not destroy it. You know what can? _I can_."

Plagg turned and glared at Adrien with fire in his eyes. "And he _made me_ do it," he blubbered. "With me watching through his eyes as my power ignited it."

* * *

A shaken Adrien tried to continue his story, haltingly. "And, a-apparently... Miraculous energies interacting like that are pretty p-potent," he blurted out. "There was an explosion; a big one. I got knocked halfway to the front door. Nathalie survived it... probably because she was still transformed when it happened... but it hurt her pretty badly."

"It took out half the mansion. It was a miracle that nobody got killed," Plagg sniffed. "I mean, with your father and Nathalie... nothing of value would've been lost. But the Gorilla guy, I kinda liked him, and if any of the kitchen staff were still around for some reason, they'd have been toast."

"So I ran back upstairs... to see if I had killed my father," Adrien stammered. "He was sitting on his bed, aghast, looking out at what remained of his house. Nathalie was off to the side, lying on the floor, unconscious but breathing."

* * *

Gabriel rose as the young hero approached him.

"So... _this_ is your choice, I see. This is what passes for 'heroics' these days," Gabriel declared.

"I didn't mean for any of this to happen. She forced the confrontation," argued Chat.

"Be _silent_."

With raw command ringing from Gabriel's voice, Chat did as he was told.

"I am going to call an ambulance for my assistant. I do not _think_ that you have killed her via your carelessness," declared Gabriel. "I will explain this to the authorities as a gas leak that ignited, or some other mundane explanation, for obvious reasons. And then I am going to go downstairs and find out whether or not you have just _slain your mother_."

"I... _what?"_ gasped Chat.

"Her cryogenic chamber was in a sub-basement of this mansion. A place that you did not know even existed," Gabriel snapped. "If the computers maintaining her life support have been damaged... her blood will be on _your_ hands, boy. Remember that, always! Let that thought rock you to sleep tonight."

"I... had no idea... you should have _told me_ -"

"And as for _you,"_ continued Gabriel, his voice dripping with contempt and anger, "you have five minutes to take what you can carry from your room. You will never return to this place. I _have no son._ Do you understand me? You have rejected the life that I have given you, Adrien, and the new world that I offered you... and so, they have been withdrawn from you."

Tears ran down Chat's face, but he was silent once more.

"Now, _go_. You have accomplished your great task; you have defeated the mighty Hawkmoth and Mayura for good," snapped Gabriel, bitterly. "I will simply sit here until the paramedics arrive, and contemplate what is left of the life that we once knew."

Chat's mouth opened to speak, but nothing emerged. _What words could have been sufficient?_ he wondered.

 _"GET OUT!"_ roared Gabriel... and Chat Noir did.

* * *

"Oh, my _God_ ," Marinette whimpered. "That was... that was how it happened... was your mother okay? Was Nathalie?"

"From what I have heard through others," Adrien mumbled, "Nathalie recovered. She has a slight limp, but is otherwise unscarred, at least physically. Father is a shell of his former self, and _that_ former self was a shell of the father I grew up with. He is like a robot, going through the motions of his business dealings, without emotion of any kind."

"As for my mother," he added, "I do not know. Only he does."

Tikki and Nooroo sat very still, overwhelmed by the confirmation of the fate of their cousin.

"Plagg... I am so sorry," said Marinette. "If I had known about any of this... I guess that now I understand why you're still furious at Adrien."

"You'd think that would've been enough, huh?" Plagg snarled.

Marinette's face fell. "There's _more?_ " she gasped.

"One very important part."

* * *

Chat Noir stumbled into an alleyway a few blocks away, a handful of clothes in a hastily-stuffed duffel bag in his hands.

"Claws in," he murmured, returning to his normal form and dreading what he was sure would come next. As he expected, a tiny black ball of anguish stared him in the face.

"R-renounce me," Plagg blurted out. "Renounce me, _now."_

"Plagg... I'm so sorry... that wasn't what I wanted to-"

" _Renounce me_ , _Adrien_ ," Plagg repeated, loudly. "Do it! Or I will make the rest of your life a _living hell_ for what you've done tonight."

"I've done a good enough job of that already," muttered Adrien.

"Oh, you're just getting warmed up," Plagg sniffed. "When Ladybug hears about this, _all of this,_ you are going to be _worm food_."

Adrien stared at Plagg for a long moment, thinking hard. When he spoke, it was with a cold tone reminiscent of his father's voice...

"You _will not._ Plagg, you will not tell _anyone_ what has happened here tonight; not that my father and Nathalie were the villains, not what caused the explosion, not what happened to Duusu and his Miraculous. You will remain silent about all of that until I release you from this order."

* * *

Plagg recoiled in shock and horror, piled on top of his other prominent emotions of the moment.

"You take that back!" demanded Plagg. "You can't do that."

"I can do that, and I have. I have to," Adrien argued. "I need to figure out how to tell her myself, in my own way, before you just blurt it out."

 _"Bull!_ " Plagg shouted. "You don't do it like _that._ You can _ask_ me, but you don't give orders like you just did. _Hawkmoth_ does that kind of thing."

"Would you have agreed, if I had simply asked?" wondered Adrien.

"Probably not! This is too important!" fumed Plagg. "But you're supposed to be my _friend!_ "

"I am, aren't I?" mused Adrien. "But a friend is something that I've never been very good at being."

A frustrated Plagg flew in little circles, trying to figure out what to say next. "Look. I'm trying _very hard_ not to say or do things that we'll both regret later," he sputtered. "You just _erased_ _Duusu_ from _existence_! I don't think that I can ever forgive you for that. I can't _live with you_ knowing that you did that. Just renounce me... and let's leave it at that."

Adrien looked at Plagg, with a calculating expression on his face. "But if I renounce you... my order that I gave you ends, too, doesn't it? Since I would no longer be your host."

"I... uh... maybe? I don't know for sure," Plagg muttered, looking evasive. "Magic can be weird sometimes."

"Then let's make a deal. One last agreement," suggested Adrien. "I release you from the order that I just gave you... but if you don't agree to this, I will put it back on. You will not tell anyone what has happened here _until I have told the story myself_. Not until I have given permission for what has happened to be known, by my telling Ladybug what happened, or something similar to that. That will give me a chance to explain myself to Ladybug, one-on-one, _first_."

"But you have to agree to this, man-to-Kwami; you won't say a word to anyone, not even the other Kwamis, until I have held up my end of it and told them or Ladybug what happened. And you have to agree that this'll keep going even _after_ I renounce you."

"How do you even know about that kind of binding agreement? That it's even possible?" Plagg wondered.

"Master Fu and I were talking one day; he was teaching me about the ways of Kwamis. That's something that he brought up in passing," explained Adrien. "And despite what you may think now... I am a good listener."

"Adrien..."

Plagg's face was as grim as Adrien had ever seen it.

"I want you to understand the _full gravity_ of what you are asking me," the Kwami intoned. "I am the Kwami of Destruction. Do you know what Destruction implies? _Freedom_. No chains can bind me. No walls can contain me. I can break through any prison in this universe... _unless_ I agree to remain in it. You're not just ordering me around now... you are asking me to accept and agree that I _can't do something_. Something _very important!_ You have absolutely no idea just how much that _pisses me off._ "

"I'm sure. I'm not trying to hurt you, Plagg, more than I already have," Adrien countered. "But if you let this out, if Ladybug finds out about this before I find a way to explain it to her... then all of this will be for naught. My life, my father's life, my family name, all of that will be in pieces. And I can't let that happen... not yet. I need to think about this first."

"Do I have your _word?_ " barked Plagg. "That you will tell Ladybug the next time that you see her, and you're able to? That I won't be under this blasted agreement a minute more than I need to be?"

"I promise," Adrien declared.

"Then... _fine_. I agree. I ain't gonna shake on it," Plagg spat out. "You were a good kid, Adrien. You were a good friend. I wish it didn't have to end like this."

"Me, too. Plagg... I'm very sorry, not that it matters... and I renounce you."

The tiny cat vanished into the air, little black particles of energy swooping back into the ring, which Adrien removed from his hand and put into his pocket before walking off into the night.

* * *

"...And the rest you know. Most of it, anyway," Adrien concluded, miserably. "I had Carapace return the ring to you; I knew that I could trust him with it. I took what little money I had and I ran; I got out of France and tried not to look back. If I had stuck around, that meant that my friends, my classmates, my loved ones... _you_... you would all be targets for any revenge that Father and Nathalie tried to take on me. If I wasn't here... they probably wouldn't bother with that. They would benefit far more from remaining silent about everything."

"And I got stuck in the box for _years_ with my mouth glued shut," Plagg accused him, "because _you_ went back on your word, you son of a bitch."

"I did not," Adrien argued, in a meek tone. "I said I would tell Ladybug the next time that I saw her, and that I was able to. I simply chose not to see Ladybug again for a long, long while. And when I did... I wasn't in much of a position to tell her yet. But now, I'm here, and I have."

"You turned your back on justice, on Ladybug, on Marinette, on _me_. For the sake of freakin' _Hawkmoth_ and _Mayura_ ," a bitter Plagg shouted. "You left me in the Miracle Box to think about what I'd done. What you _made_ me do. With seventeen Kwamis asking me all the while if I knew anything about Duusu... and I couldn't say _nothin'!_ "

"And the only other one who knew, and could say anything, was Nooroo. And he didn't have to make any kind of agreement with me... but, graciously, he did so," Adrien noted.

"You freed me from Hawkmoth's grasp. I would fly through fire for you, Adrien," replied Nooroo. "Metaphorically, at least."

"At any rate..." said Adrien, humbly, "I have wronged you, Plagg, and I apologize. And I believe that what I have said here tonight has freed you... but let's make it official. Plagg... I release you from any and all orders and agreements I have ever made with you."

A tiny, sparkly flash of light surrounded Plagg for a fraction of a second.

" _Thank_ you," Plagg grumbled. "That's a big-ass monkey off my back, for what it's worth. Not that we're even close to square yet."

"I know. And I truly am sorry," Adrien told him. "And as for _you_..."

All eyes turned to Marinette, who was very still, processing all of this.

* * *

"I'm... I have no idea how to even begin with this," Marinette sighed.

"I wish that I could have told you... but Chat's identity wasn't my secret to tell," Tikki consoled her. "Even back in the old days; Master Fu would've had my hide if I'd even _tried_. And I didn't know most of what had happened until today; Nooroo was off with Adrien, Duusu was still... missing, and Plagg literally _couldn't_ tell us much."

She noted, "Wayzz sensed some kind of massive disturbance the night that all that happened. He feared that something terrible had happened... but we couldn't reach Nooroo or Duusu to confirm it. And when Hawkmoth and Mayura stopped sending Akumas and Amoks, and Chat abruptly vanished... well, we put two and two together, but it didn't add up to four yet until Nooroo showed up here tonight."

"I understand that, Tikki. I'm not blaming you," agreed Marinette. "Plagg... I think I need to find you a plate of Camembert the size of Greece."

"Put it on his tab," Plagg growled, pointing at Adrien. "But thank you. Getting out like this once in a while would be good enough for now. _And_ maybe some cheese, yeah."

"And Nooroo... oh, my gosh, Nooroo..." Marinette smiled, "you have _no idea_ how happy I am to finally meet you. And not just because that means that Hawkmoth is truly gone for good."

"It feels wonderful to say that," Nooroo beamed. "And while I cannot agree with every choice that Adrien has made... he has been good to me while I've known him like this. I would stay with him a while longer, if I may."

"An hour ago, I wanted to stay with Adrien forever," blurted Marinette. "And now..."

"If you want me to leave... I'll leave," said Adrien, rather quietly. "I'll understand."

"You might wish to put some pants on first," Nooroo pointed out. "Just saying."

"I've been laying myself out naked in front of everyone most of the evening. Literally and emotionally," Adrien replied, without even a hint of a smile. "Maybe I should just get used to that."

"Adrien..." Marinette said. "I'm just going to... well... say some things now, okay? So please just let me let this out."

Adrien nodded.

* * *

"I'm not sure quite how I feel right now," she began. "If everything that you've told me is true, and I believe you that it is..."

"I'll vouch for it," Plagg conceded. "It _took him_ long enough, but he said it right."

"...I'm kind of torn up inside," said Marinette. "You turned your back on our partnership, on bringing Hawkmoth to justice, and you kind of ghosted me as a _friend_... but you did it to protect people that you loved as much as for your own benefit. To protect _me._ You couldn't tell me why... but I think we both know what it's like to have a big secret that we can't tell anyone else. And I can't imagine what it must've felt like to find out who your father secretly was, and what that meant."

She paused, then asked, "Out of curiosity... why _did_ you come back to Paris?"

"Of all the places that I've been... this felt like home the most," Adrien replied. "Enough time had passed that I'd hoped to slip under my father's notice and exist here. Not to model again, or anything like that; I'm done with that if I can help it. I couldn't if I wanted to; Father's made sure that I'm blackballed in the fashion industry, I'm sure. But to track down some old friends and reconnect... like you."

"Well... that you did," smiled Marinette. "And when he finally noticed that you had returned?"

Adrien sighed. "My savings are running out quickly. I'm looking for a job... though I'm not entirely sure what I'm qualified to do that would be sufficiently under-the-radar... and I had an idea in my head of sending a butterfly to visit my father, with Nooroo's help. A _white_ butterfly, not an Akuma _,"_ he emphasized. "To see if he would allow me some sort of monthly stipend, in return for my continued silence and absence from his life."

Tikki frowned. "That sounds like blackmail," she pointed out.

Nodding, Adrien replied, "You could probably call it that. I didn't want to do it like that... but my bank balance told me to do _something_. If he simply said 'no,' I don't think I would have exposed him, anyway... and I'm sure that he knows that, which is why he would probably chance saying 'no.' I was still figuring out what to do, even if I was going to go through with it, when you literally caught me with my pants down that night."

He slumped down, emotionally exhausted. "And finding out whether I really _did_ cause my mother's death would also be a good thing," he added.

"Adrien... the fact that you were my partner, you were my kitty... if you hadn't been forced to by what happened tonight, were you going to tell me that?" asked Marinette, sounding rather vulnerable.

"I was. I was going to tell you tonight. That's why I brought Nooroo with me, to help explain the circumstances. Obviously, I didn't expect to see _Plagg_ as well..." ventured Adrien.

"That's an understatement," Plagg agreed. "You just about crapped your lack of pants."

"But I haven't lied to you about anything, Marinette," Adrien continued. "I didn't rush to tell you everything right up front... but then again, I didn't exactly go looking for Ladybug. _She_ found _me_. And I couldn't have been much more vulnerable than I was _that_ night... but you helped me and you loved me and you made me fall in love all over again."

"I'm not the boy that I used to be," he said, earnestly. "There are lots of scars now, even if some of them don't show. And I'm ashamed of some of the things I've done, even if I still think I had at least _mostly_ good intentions."

Marinette looked him over, judging his sincerity. "I'm not going to say 'You're forgiven,' not entirely..." she told him, softly, "because I'm not sure how much that you need to be. There are some relationships that, well, maybe you'll never rebuild those bridges."

"I get that," Adrien agreed.

"And there are things that I need to think about. Like, part of me wants to go drag your father and Nathalie out of bed and haul them to jail _right now_ , knowing who they were and what they did to Paris," she sighed. "And knowing what I know now about him, about your mother, about what happened... some of it seems like it's in a slightly different light."

"So what do you want to do?" asked Tikki.

"How about this," mused Marinette. "Plagg, if I put you back in the box, do you trust me to let you out again soon? I just don't want my cat to eat or lose the ring."

"Yeah, I get that... and _you,_ I'll trust," he replied, shooting a still-angry glance Adrien's way. "I have, uh... some things that I oughta go think about."

"Tikki, Nooroo... you can go as you please. Either join the Kwamis in the Miracle Box, or float around and talk... I'm sure that you have lots of catching up to do," Marinette suggested next.

The pair nodded their assent. "Probably a little bit of each," said Nooroo.

"And what about me?" asked Adrien, tentatively.

* * *

Marinette gave him a long look, making up her mind. Finally, she reached over and turned out the bedroom light, then lifted up the bedcovers and wriggled her lower half under them.

"Come here," she said. "Hold me, please. Just hold me tonight."

Adrien climbed over to that side of the bed, got underneath the covers and wrapped his arm around Marinette; she snuggled towards him, not to arouse him this time but simply to be as close to him as she could.

"When I'm in your arms... it feels like nothing can be wrong," she whispered. "And right now... I need that feeling for a little while, while I figure out what to do."

His chest warm against her bare back, his arm held tight against her, her hands keeping it there, Marinette spent the night wondering exactly that... and while her mind didn't want to rest and her eyes didn't want to close, she did draw a certain peace and comfort from that embrace.


	10. A Little Peek Towards Tomorrow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morning arrives, and with it, that pesky work thing rears its ugly head. Marinette pulls herself out of bed reluctantly and heads over there, though not without some more heart-to-heart with Adrien first. She invites him to stay at her place for the day, and he accepts.
> 
> At work, Marinette talks the situation over as best she can with her friends Gail and Amy; at home, Adrien has a Kwami visitor who wants to discuss things, too. Plus one more visitor who just wants her belly rubbed, of course.

Delicate, Chapter 10

* * *

Marinette's kitchen was a tiny place... but it was large enough for an impromptu midnight summit between three Kwamis, while the humans slept.

"So she really is gone... for now."

Tikki's voice was subdued, bent on not provoking Plagg any more than absolutely necessary. "Wayzz sensed that something drastic might have happened to Duusu and the Peacock, and when things went quiet after that... we feared the same of you, Nooroo," she said. "One of many reasons that I was so delighted to find you today."

"I understand," Nooroo told her. "I had no way to contact you, after all. Adrien had my Miraculous, but kept it in its box for quite some time. I believe that he... feared it, and me as well, for lack of a better word; that I or it would corrupt him and turn him into another Hawkmoth. It took months for us to get to know each other and build up any kind of rapport, and even now, it is somewhat subdued compared to yours."

"Count your blessings," muttered Plagg.

"Stop that," Tikki chided him. "Is everything that was said in that bedroom accurate?"

"More or less, yeah," Plagg replied, grudgingly.

"Then you are being very hard on a young man who was in an impossible situation, and who acted on his gut instincts. The kind of behavior that you used to try to _encourage_ in him _,_ " Tikki frowned. "And I am not saying this to excuse the choices that he made, Plagg. I _understand_ why you are furious with him, now that I've heard it out loud. He didn't cross boundaries that night; he shattered them."

"You're damned right, he did," glared Plagg. "So don't even suggest that I should forgive him."

"Forgiveness is not something to be demanded," Nooroo said, quietly. "It is something that is simply given. Your own judgment applies to that."

"Blah, blah, blah," Plagg responded, wearily.

" _Plagg_ ," insisted Tikki. "He covered for Hawkmoth and Mayura's identities. He destroyed a Miraculous. He coerced you into betraying your own nature and keeping quiet, and then he let that linger on far longer than you'd anticipated. None of that should be taken lightly. But can I phrase things another way?"

At his silence, she continued. "He was a _boy_ whose home life was unpleasant at best - which you witnessed firsthand - and then _that_ came crashing down around him, all at once. His father and Nathalie were the archvillains he'd been hunting for years. His life as he knew it was _over_ the moment that he heard their conversation," Tikki declared. "And his father made sure to drill that dilemma into his skull even before Mayura ambushed him. So, it wasn't just 'Join me or be destroyed'; it was 'Join me or my partner will destroy _everything you love_ , including the _girl_ you're kind of in love with and her whole family.'"

Plagg stared back, anger blazing in his eyes, but remained silent.

"Maybe he reacted more out of fear and anguish and panic than anything else. Maybe he didn't take the time to stop and think about it. Maybe he felt like he had _seconds to choose_ what to do," continued Tikki. "I'm _horrified_ at what happened to Duusu. I'm _so sorry_ that your power is what did it. But after what I just heard... I don't know if I can _blame him_ for it."

"Don't you go there. Don't you _dare_ ," mumbled Plagg, his anger wavering somewhat.

"He wanted to _protect_ others. Ladybug, Marinette, his other friends, all of _Paris_. And what that got him was disowned, a one-way ticket out of France, and oh, by the way, he might've just _killed his_ _mother_ without knowing it." Tikki crossed her tiny arms and closed her eyes in frustration. "He had one lifeline left in this entire world; the partner whom he'd tried to protect by taking the whole burden onto himself. He needed to think, he needed to make sense of it all before he could tell her what had happened. And in the end, _he couldn't figure out a way to do it_. Not for a long, long while."

"I agree that he hurt you, Plagg... and deeply so. No one is arguing that," Nooroo added. "Where I do not agree is whether or not he ever _meant to."_

"Of _course_ he didn't _mean to_ ," sputtered Plagg. "Don't you think I've thought of that? Don't you think that I haven't been able to think of _anything else_ for two freakin' years now?"

Plagg turned away from the two of them, not wanting them to see his face at that moment.

"With words burning in my mouth that I couldn't say to anyone, that were all that I _could_ think about," he growled, trying to keep righteous anger as his foremost emotion.

"I can kind of see _why_ he did what he did, once the smoke had cleared," sympathized Tikki. "That doesn't mean that I agree with his _doing it_ that way."

"You've had hosts that didn't work out before. We all have," Plagg sighed. "I've had more of those relationships go to shit than ones that didn't. That's why I stopped opening up to them, you know? Never get too close to a host. But with that boy... I couldn't help it. He just needed _someone_ so badly and I was all he had."

"You were _beyond_ good to him, Plagg," Tikki said. "We both know that."

"And that's what I got as my reward," spat out Plagg. "Lucky me."

He darted through the wall, in the direction of Marinette's bedroom, causing Nooroo to react with alarm.

"Oh, dear! Should we go after him?" Nooroo cried out. "He wouldn't try to do anything to Adrien now... would he?"

"I don't think so," mused Tikki. "But let's check."

The two flew into the bedroom, and found nothing out of place; Marinette remained curled up in a sleeping Adrien's arms, with Audrey in a ball by their feet.

Venturing into the closet, they didn't find him there, either. "Nine'll get you ten that he just went back into the Miracle Box," said Tikki. "And I'm not going to chase him down in there. Let him rest and think about things for a bit; I'll get Marinette to put the ring back in the Box once she wakes up. Right now... we _all_ need some rest."

* * *

Around five-thirty, Marinette's alarm went off. With sleepy eyes, she reached across and whacked it with her palm to shut it off, painfully aware that she'd only _just_ managed to drift off.

"Nnnnnnh," grunted Adrien, his arm reaching over for her.

"Nnnnnngh," Marinette grunted back, rolling over to face him and resting her head against him.

Adrien opened his eyes, sensing that he was suddenly in charge of getting either of them moving. "Marinette?" he whispered.

"Hmmm?" mumbled Marinette.

"If you go back to sleep, I don't think that I can stay awake to wake you again..." he murmured. "And you'll never make it to work."

"Don't care. Almost," Marinette replied.

Sighing, she forced her eyes open and gazed up at him, with a gentle smile. "Good morning," she cooed. "I hope that you got more sleep than I did."

"I'm sorry about that," Adrien replied, looking remorseful. "About _everything,_ Marinette. You've been nothing but good to me... you've _always_ been nothing but good to me... and here I am, dumping my problems on you and dropping bomb after bomb, all at once."

"Adrien..." Marinette began, with a serious expression. _"Listen_ to me. I am not going to let you beat yourself up over this. What's happened between you and your father, I... don't know quite what to do about that, though I will help you if I can. But you are not going to lie here and worry that you've hurt _me_."

"Haven't I?" pondered Adrien. "I disappeared on you. On _both_ of you. I held back so many secrets from you."

"What's the one thing that Ladybug _always_ told you, back in the day? That our identities had to remain secret, so that Hawkmoth couldn't find out," replied Marinette. "Well... there's no more Hawkmoth. And you were _still_ cautious about whether I would want to know or not, until I had to. That wasn't a bad thing."

"You've been sleeping with Chat Noir without knowing it. I don't feel good about that."

"I have been sleeping with someone that I have missed very, very much. Someone that I love," Marinette declared. She pressed her unclothed body up against his, less for purposes of arousal than for simple, tender intimacy. "Am I half-awake because I was up half the night with my brain screaming at me? Yeah, I have _lots_ of things I'm working out right now in my head, and I'm far from done with that. But I'm not troubled by who _you_ are... or who you were."

"You're sure about that?" asked Adrien.

"Do you know why I always turned Chat Noir down back then, even though you were so sweet, so caring, such a great partner?"

Adrien considered that. "The puns?" he suggested.

"They didn't help, I'll give you that," countered Marinette, with a wry grin. "It was because there was someone else who had my heart. And that was _you_ , dummy. One of the only guys you took second place to was yourself."

"And if it hadn't been for Ladybug... I don't know how I wouldn't have been at your doorstep a long time ago," marveled Adrien.

"You're here now. That's what matters," Marinette said, gently. "You fell into my life again and bared your soul to me. And bared a lot more," she grinned, forcing herself to ignore a certain distraction that was forming up against her. "I hope you didn't think that I would turn you away, after _that."_

"Plagg would, in a heartbeat. And I can't argue with him at all about that," moped Adrien.

"Adrien," sighed Marinette, "okay, that's part of what I'm still figuring out. I can't just Lucky Charm that all better, and most of that will be between the two of you. I'm putting the ring back in the Box for now, so that he can have some cooling-off time before you two talk again."

"...Probably for the best," Adrien agreed.

"Do you have anywhere that you need to be today?" asked Marinette.

"Not really, no."

"Then here's what I want you to do..."

* * *

Not too long afterwards, an office door opened, and a couple of heads turned to face it.

"Oh, my," Amy grinned. "Someone got her world rocked again."

"That's one way to put it," replied Marinette, wearily, "though maybe not quite like _that_."

"Oh-oh," said Gail, looking curious. "A bit of trouble in paradise?"

"Not _bad_ trouble. Not, like, a fight. More like we talked some things out after everybody else left, and... um... it's a little complicated."

Gail's face was reassuring. "Then get yourself settled in here, and when _you_ want to talk about any of it... let us know, and we'll coffee-break it together," she suggested.

"I would love that. Thank you," Marinette smiled. "It's nothing terrible, and I can't discuss all of it, but I can always use some good advice."

"...So you _didn't_ turn Adrien into quivering jelly after we left?" wondered Amy, with some disbelief. "How did you manage to hold back?"

"She didn't say _that_ ," noted Gail.

"No, I didn't say that," a somewhat reddening Marinette confirmed. "And I have no complaints in _that_ department."

"Oh, _come on_ ," pleaded Amy with a wide grin. "One little hint about that?"

Marinette smiled, recognizing that her friend's thirst for details needed to be sated if she was actually going to get any work done that morning. "Amy... he's been an accomplished pianist for years now. Good enough to play the most complicated classical pieces," she hinted. "Just what do you think he's capable of with fingers that are that talented?"

 _"Ohhhh,"_ Amy replied, her grin widening.

"Later," Marinette declared.

* * *

Meanwhile, Adrien lay flat on his back, staring up at Marinette's bedroom ceiling.

* * *

"I want you to just _relax_ today," Marinette had told him. "Saying what you said last night, _living_ all of that _..._ and the situation that you're in... those can't have been easy on you at all. So, you and Nooroo are welcome to stay here today and just... chill. You'll have Nooroo and Audrey for company, and probably Tikki, too. There are some leftovers in the fridge and frozen stuff in the freezer when you get hungry - nothing fancy, but..."

"Are you sure? I don't want to impose," Adrien had replied. "Or have you worried that things might blow up while you're at work."

"Plagg is locked away, for now. And if I remember correctly, the biggest risk of explosions outside of _that_ is if you try to cook something, beyond reheating in a microwave," teased Marinette.

Adrien had refused to confirm or deny that accusation, outside of the face that he'd made in response.

"So take your mind off of everything for a little while. Play with Audrey. Get some rest. I'll be back soon."

Audrey had let out a small _mrrrr?_ and pawed at his leg, suggesting that she, too liked the idea.

* * *

"So, here I am," he mused aloud, looking around the bedroom idly. "Nooroo? Are you around?"

"Actually..." said a quiet voice, "Nooroo's in the Miracle Box right now. He's been gone so long that everyone else in there is dying to catch up with him some more."

"And..."

"And..." Tikki continued, "Plagg is in there, too. Trust me on that. Marinette stashed the ring before she left for work, so he's not coming out unless I do my little trick again, or she gives the ring to someone herself."

"So that was your doing?" Adrien wondered aloud. "I mean... it kind of had to be, now that I think about it; no one else was here."

"Guilty as charged," said Tikki. "With a little furry help."

Audrey shifted positions against Adrien's leg, rolling over to face the tiny red bug-mouse. She registered some interest, but not enough to consider sitting up or pouncing yet.

"I get the _who,_ as to how Plagg got out," Adrien continued. "And from Audrey coming in here carrying my ring. Now, _why_ you did it..."

 _"...Your_ ring?" Tikki parried.

Adrien stared back, blankly. "It was mine for years, wasn't it? Until I gave it up," he replied. "And now you know why I did."

He sank back into the pillow behind him. "I kinda figured," he said, "that she'd just find a new Chat Noir to partner with, and be happy. Someone more reliable, someone less pushy, someone who wouldn't run out on her. Someone whose father wasn't the villain of Paris, though she didn't know that part! ...If another Chat was needed, anyway; without Hawkmoth, I guess that one wasn't, and I kind of took care of _that_ myself."

Tikki floated over him, her face impassive. "If that's what you thought... then even after all this time, you have a bit more to learn about Marinette," she stated.

* * *

Gail and Amy beckoned Marinette over to the break room at their first opportunity. She stopped at the coffeemaker, pouring herself a strong one, then joined them at a table in the corner.

"Okay! So... what happened?" bubbled Amy. "We are going to pry it out of you, so you ought to just save time and spill it."

"Amy!" Gail scolded her. "Take a breath, already! Let her decide what she wants to share with us."

"It's not a bombshell," Marinette began. _At least not the parts that I can say out loud,_ she thought. "Okay. So, after you left, and after Adrien and I had some private time... and, no, Amy, I'm not giving you much more of a scorecard now for how that went, other than that we were both _quite_ satisfied... we got to talking afterwards. Things about how he'd disappeared a couple of years ago and why, and why he's back now."

"He did seem a little evasive about that," said Gail. "Not in a bad way, necessarily; he had just met us last night, and he wasn't going to just blurt out everything to new acquaintances. But you had hinted that there were things that _you_ were still dying to know."

"And... now I know," replied Marinette. "And I'm... working on what to do next."

With some hesitancy, and with some details omitted for Adrien's privacy, Marinette described the situation as best she could. She relayed how there had been an irreconcilable argument between Adrien and his father, how an accident had happened, how Adrien blamed himself for the aftermath and how Gabriel was quite satisfied in also blaming Adrien for it all.

"Brrrr," Gail shuddered. "I can't even imagine that kind of blowup with family. I mean the _argument_ part, not literally blowing up the _house_. So they haven't spoken since?"

"Not that I know of." Marinette closed her eyes. "For as long as I've known him, Adrien and his father hadn't been close... but not because Adrien didn't want to be."

"What about his mother?" asked Amy.

"I have no idea," said Marinette, without turning her head. "He's very hush-hush about her. I'm not entirely sure that _he_ knows, as crazy as that sounds. She disappeared, or died, or whatever before I met him, and Adrien's made it sound like his father knows more than he's been willing to talk about."

Gail frowned. "I don't like the sound of that," she opined. "At all."

Marinette gave her a pained look. "I don't, either. But I know that it wasn't Adrien's fault," she replied. "Look... From the moment I met Adrien, he's been the most genuine person I've ever known. Getting disinherited didn't bother him all that much, because he never really _wanted_ the wealth or the fame. He wanted to _belong_. He wanted friends so badly - real friends, people who'd treat him like one of the gang - but he _really_ wanted family. The one thing that he couldn't have, no matter how hard he tried."

"So which part of that are you going to try to give him?" Amy considered. "You've been a real friend to him. You're now a real friend-with-benefits, and a lot more than that, it sounds like. Does he need a mother figure, or a soulmate, or a fiancee?"

"I wish I knew which one he needs the most," mumbled Marinette.

* * *

Tikki settled down on the bed, a comfortable distance away from Audrey, who kept one eye on her all the while.

"Marinette wasn't lying about anything that she told you about _you_ , Adrien," she began. "If anything, she understated most of it. When you disappeared, you left _two_ giant holes in her life; one with cat ears and one without. You do know that, right?"

"I knew that I hurt her when I ran. Now that I know that she was Ladybug... yeah, I can see how deeply that hit her," said Adrien.

"I don't know that you do yet," Tikki lectured him. "You and Marinette were never a romantic couple back then... though not because she didn't try, in her teenaged, fumbling way... but you struck a chord in her from the very beginning. If you had to describe Marinette in one sentence... what her personality is like... what would you say?"

Adrien barely paused before replying, "She wants to fix anything and everything that's damaged or wrong. To make the world better for everyone around her."

"Exactly," smiled Tikki. "And Marinette had a close friend who needed friendship, approval, acceptance, trust from the day she'd met him. She had a partner who was just as desperate for the same kinds of things. She couldn't give you all that you wanted as Chat, for many reasons. She couldn't give Adrien all that she wanted to, because she couldn't find the courage or the right way to express herself. But she tried so hard, both ways. And don't you ever think that Chat Noir wasn't just as treasured by her as Adrien."

Adrien looked back at her, wavering a bit. "I really want to believe that," he said.

"When Adrien disappeared... well, Marinette didn't get a chance to say goodbye, and it stung her quite a bit," explained Tikki. "She didn't get over that quickly... she never did, completely. But the night that she got your note and the ring, your resignation as Chat Noir, and she knew that you were gone from her life... she went home and she cried into her pillow all night. She was like a lost soul."

_"...Wh-what?"_

"She knew what she meant to you as Ladybug. She suspected how dear to you she was as Marinette. And in the end... she was sure that she'd failed you," Tikki stated. "On every level. Because if she hadn't... she was sure that you would've come to her, let her know that you were okay, in one way or another."

A silent Adrien absorbed that, unable to respond.

* * *

"I don't know that Adrien needs _any_ of those from you, specifically," cautioned Gail. "Or that he needs to put you in any one of those categories. He seemed _very_ happy with how the two of you are beginning anew, already."

"He is. He told me that he loves me last night," breathed Marinette. "And I told him that I love him, too." She wiped at her eyes and told herself, "I am _not_ going to lose control right now."

"And both of you feeling like that... that can only be a good thing," soothed Gail. "Now. The bad things, both what you've told us and what you can't tell us. Weigh those against that. Are they things that you can work through together?"

"I th-think so?" burbled Marinette. "I'm pretty sure that we can. Though I can't fix everything, or even come close."

"I doubt that he expects you to," Amy suggested. "Or he may not even want you to try. He might just want to write off that part of his life altogether."

"I know him better than that," said Marinette, regaining most of her composure. "If he feels guilt over what happened, that kind of thing feels crushing to him; it always did. He's always wanted so badly to please everyone, to fulfill everyone's expectations no matter how high they were set. It's a burden that he shouldn't have to bear. He and his father may never be close again... but Adrien does need some closure, at least."

"Have you ever met his father?" asked Gail. "I recall your saying that you'd been face-to-face with him. But would he know you now, personally?"

 _Depends on if I'm wearing spots or not,_ thought Marinette. "I doubt that he would know me on sight, but I could jog his memory pretty easily, I think," she ventured.

"Which I would be _very_ careful about doing," noted Amy, "if you ever want to get a better job in fashion than in this place. They say that he's like a rabid wolf in a three-piece suit."

"There are some answers I would need first before trying to intervene, believe me," Marinette deflected. "He's not someone I would try to contact on a whim."

"But you might want to try... eventually," suggested Gail.

Without a word... Marinette nodded.

* * *

Tikki watched as Adrien slumped down in the bed, his eyes welling up.

"I... never meant for any of that," he gasped. "I would never have hurt... I had to _protect_ everyone. And the best way that I could do that was to just get away-"

"Marinette understands that a lot better now, I'm sure," Tikki consoled him. _Hurting Marinette - in or out of costume - is something he never could bear,_ she thought. "Now that she's heard your story, she knows what you've been through, _why_ you did what you did... it rang true for her. But she's going to need a little time. And you'll notice that she didn't exactly kick you out."

"No... that, she didn't," Adrien agreed. "I'm not sure what I expected when I dropped those bombs on her. 'Hold me all night' and 'I still love you' weren't what I would've bet on."

"You _still_ don't get it, do you?" glared Tikki. "You still feel like this is all going to end any minute now. That, deep down, you're not _worthy_ of her."

"I think that I've proven that many times over, haven't I?" Adrien snapped back. "I don't know that anyone _could be_. But _ME?_ " he asked, mockingly. "Just ask Plagg how worthy I am."

" _Adrien._ "

Tikki's voice was insistent enough to quiet him immediately.

* * *

"So let me sum this up," Gail stated. "You're crazy about Adrien, and he's just as into you. There are bad and troubling things in his past, but nothing that he's deliberately done to you, and he's remorseful for his roles in any of them. No drugs, no abusing others, no crimes on his resume, or anything like that. So he's sweet and caring and he adores you, but he's a little bit broken, and you think that you're the glue to fix that."

Marinette checked off all of those statements in her mind. "Yup," she confirmed. "He stumbled back into my life. I'm not about to let him stumble back out of it now."

"Then it's not a question of _what_ you want to do. It's a question of _how_ ," surmised Amy.

Marinette nodded, agreeing with that.

"And you may not need to rush into that," counseled Gail. "I strongly suspect that you have him firmly on your hook, and he's not going anywhere any time soon. Where is he now?"

"At... my apartment, sleeping it off?" said Marinette. "If he did what I asked him to, at least."

Gail smiled, shaking her head. "You're not one to waste time," she noted. "Okay. So if you are going to act quickly... you're communicating better with him now. Keep that up. Both of you should move forward with open eyes and honesty; you can't go too far wrong with those."

"That's what I intend to," smiled Marinette. "And thank you both for listening to my babbling."

"That's what friends are for," replied Amy. "Do you have a next step in mind?"

"Actually... I think that I do," Marinette considered, "though it's one of those things I can't really talk about. And if I'm going to do it... I'll need a little help from Adrien."

* * *

"I am only going to say this once. So listen to me very carefully, Adrien." Tikki demanded.

He nodded, helplessly.

"Marinette _loves you._ I don't think that she ever stopped loving you. _Either_ of your selves. No matter what you think of yourself, no matter what you feel about what you've done... you are not going to change her mind about that. A little self-deprecation on your part goes a long way, so don't bury yourself in it," said Tikki. "And one thing that Marinette has always done is do the best she can with the hand that she's been dealt. She looks forward, not back. Some of that needs to rub off on you right now, I think."

"Now, as for Plagg..." she continued, "yes, I let him out because he deserved to be there for the truth, _and_ to confront you. You wronged him badly in a couple of ways, and I'll be honest... he _should_ be angry at you. I don't know if he'll ever let it go, or want to be friendly with you again. But you need to understand something important."

"And that is...?" asked Adrien, quietly.

"Plagg loved you like I don't think he's ever loved another host," Tikki replied. "I have known him for far longer than you can imagine. I have seen him paired with dozens of humans over the millennia. It's rare that he took any of them _seriously_ , let alone became close to them. But that streak in Marinette that sees someone in pain and feels like they _need_ to fix it? He felt that with you in the biggest way."

"I... got that idea at times," Adrien murmured. "That what we had together was kind of unusual for him."

"If he didn't care... if you weren't someone that dear to him... would his reaction have been as overwhelming as it was? Then _or_ now?" asked Tikki.

She watched him process that, and continued. "Deep down, Plagg has more in common with Marinette than he would ever let on. And I will personally strangle you if you ever tell him or anyone else that I said that," Tikki added. "He's a cranky, self-centered, stubborn old goat with a mushy, sentimental center deep underneath. That's why your... 'betrayal' stung him so deeply. And that's your starting point, what you need to fully understand if you hope to ever mend things with him. You apologized to him tonight, and that was a good beginning... but you have so much farther to go."

"I... will think on that," half-whispered Adrien.

"And you need to love _yourself_ the way that he did... and that she does," Tikki said. "And that, I cannot help you with. But I can suggest one thing until Marinette gets home."

She nodded her head towards Audrey. "There's someone _else_ here who seems to have fallen for you, unconditionally," Tikki smiled. "Maybe get some cuddles in with her today."

Adrien reached a hand down and rubbed Audrey's head; she purred immediately at his touch, and rolled her belly in the direction of his hand. "You know... I think I will," he grinned.

"All right, then. I'll leave you to that for now, and to do some thinking," said Tikki, as she floated towards the closet and the Miracle Box inside it. "I'll tell Nooroo that you were looking for him."

Lying back... Adrien allowed himself to relax, just a little bit. "Tell him that there's no rush," he replied.


	11. Home is a State of Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette returns home from work, and finds a surprise... Adrien _cooked dinner_? SUCCESSFULLY? There must be some kind of story behind that. It proves to be tasty... and dessert proves to be even more delicious, albeit slightly interrupted.
> 
> A little later, amidst pillow talk, Adrien sees that Marinette-Has-a-Plan face and braces himself. She has an idea with some potential for putting Adrien's life back together... and another idea that requires a group discussion. Because what _did_ happen to Adrien's mother is kind of a big deal, one way or another... and it might be time to try and find that out.

Delicate, Chapter 11

* * *

When Marinette arrived home, she was expecting to find a happy and well-rested boyfriend. The enticing aroma that she encountered as soon as she opened her front door, however, was a very pleasant surprise.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Hello! Someone has been busy today, I see."

A grinning figure hustled out of her tiny kitchen, drying his hands on a towel. "Welcome home," Adrien declared, stepping forward for a kiss or two that turned into more like twelve. "It's really nothing special," he insisted. "I just wanted to do my part, if I was lazing around here and you were working all day. I hope that you like chicken parmesan."

"I do, I do!" smiled Marinette. " _You_ made that for me?"

"For us, yes," Adrien confirmed. "I have water boiling for the pasta to go with it; I was waiting until you arrived to start that."

"That sounds delightful," she replied, setting her purse down and kicking off her shoes. "I'll go and freshen up while you're finishing that." She gave him a slightly suspicious look, albeit a happy one. " _You_ cooked dinner for me," she repeated, wanting to believe that it was for real, but considering past history as well.

"Don't look _too_ surprised!" sniffed Adrien, feigning a bit of bruised dignity. "I have been living mostly on my own for a couple of years now. It hasn't _all_ been nightly pizzas and Chinese takeaway. I may not have liked the diets and regimens that my father's nutritionists put me through... but they did leave me with some pretty decent eating habits, I'll admit."

"I could see that," agreed Marinette. "And I _have_ checked your figure pretty closely. You're definitely keeping that balanced well; you probably eat better than I do, though I do try not to indulge much."

"As if there's an ounce of excess fat anywhere on you," argued Adrien. "And I've checked _that_ thoroughly."

"The mirror tells me otherwise," Marinette countered. "Not much, but it's there."

"Hmmph," Adrien replied, remaining quite unconvinced, but saving an in-depth counterargument for later. "Anyway, I rooted around in your fridge and worked with what I found, since I couldn't really go to the grocery store and leave the place unlocked. I hope you weren't saving those chicken breasts for something specific..."

"Not really," said Marinette. "More like 'something fresh to have on hand and I'd figure out what to do with it when I got there,' which is my usual routine."

"And... I did have a little help putting this together," Adrien admitted.

At that, Tikki and Nooroo floated out of the kitchen. "You've seen _Ratatouille_ , right?" quipped Tikki.

* * *

Marinette broke into giggles, imagining Tikki pulling on Adrien's hair to direct his kitchen movements as in that film.

"It was nothing like that, I assure you," Tikki clarified. "We just gave him some small tips on proportions and such. Nooroo's actually quite the gourmand."

Nooroo smiled at that. "I do not have many fond memories of my former Master... but I must admit that I ate very well while I was there," he said. "The Master had very good chefs on staff, and in lieu of asking what I would prefer to have, he would generally request a side plate of whatever he was having."

"What _do_ you prefer, Nooroo? Since I suspect that you'll be a fairly frequent guest," asked Marinette.

"I'll eat just about anything, but I do have a distinct taste for fresh fruit," Nooroo replied. "I regret to inform you that you are now out of bananas, on that note."

"Not a problem. I was considering a grocery run tomorrow; I can restock with whatever we could all use. Name a fruit, and you'll have it when you're here."

"I'll make a short list," smiled Nooroo, happily.

Adrien looked at Marinette, questioningly. "By 'fairly frequent guest...'" he ventured.

"What, did you think that I won't have you over here all the time?" countered Marinette, a hand on one hip. "I'd like to think that you've figured out that you're very welcome here."

"No, I know _that_... What I meant was," hesitated Adrien. "I wasn't sure if you were... going to let me keep the Moth Miraculous, now that you know where it is."

Marinette paused, her expression changing. "I hadn't really thought about that yet," she considered. "I mean... I know that I can trust you, Adrien. You got it away from someone who was misusing it and have taken good care of it since. Even if I wanted to put the Cat back in play, and I don't know that I do, you and Plagg are... complicated. And any time that Nooroo wants to visit the other Kwamis in the Miracle Box, he knows exactly where it is now." She turned to Nooroo and asked, "Nooroo, what do you think?"

"I would have no complaints," said Nooroo, simply. "As you noted, this would be something of the best of both worlds. I enjoy the young Master's company, and with everything out in the open now, I would imagine that our relationship could grow even closer."

"Even if he keeps telling you not to call him 'Master,'" sighed Adrien.

"And I do like the idea of you having someone to watch over you," smiled Marinette, "a little friend that you can always count on."

"Another one, you mean," Adrien smiled back, dreamily.

The sound of a timer going off jolted Adrien back to awareness. "Ah!" he exclaimed. "I'd better get the chicken out of the oven, and the angel-hair started."

"We can talk about that later," Marinette called to him. "I'm just going to go change."

* * *

At the dinner table, the food was more than satisfactory, and the conversation was light and breezy.

"So," wondered Adrien, "if I may ask, what did your work friends think of me?"

"Oh, they were charmed, as I expected they would be," Marinette told him. "I would say that you made a very good impression on them. Gail's already invited you to her house for the next get-together, hasn't she?"

"True, though that could've just been being polite, I wasn't completely sure," replied Adrien. "And Amy, er, seemed to want to invite me to her house _that night."_

Marinette burst out in laughter. "Yeah, that's Amy. We joke sometimes that she's perma-horny," she giggled. "She'll tell you every detail, if you let her. Gail is more like, 'I am delighted that something pleasurable happened to you. I do not need to know more about what it was, or how it worked, or where you bought the equipment.'"

Taking a bite of her chicken, she continued, "Trust me, though; you have nothing to worry about with Amy. She is _very_ committed to Jacques. She may be a chronic flirt, but she's not about to try and jump you."

"Which is what I thought... though it's always good to know that for sure," Adrien replied.

"I did talk with them about you this morning," noted Marinette. "Obviously, nothing about our costumed lives... but answering some questions they had about you and your father, about why you're at an impasse. Just to make sure that _I_ was looking at those things with clear eyes; we exchange advice like that fairly often, between the three of us."

"I see," said Adrien. "And what did they think?"

"That you appear to be quite a catch," smiled Marinette, "regardless of your bank balance or lack thereof, and if you and I treat each other right and we stay open and honest... the sky's the limit. Hence why I'm telling you this now; the conversation this morning really wasn't a big thing, but... well... I spent the whole time that I knew you hiding something big from you, and you from me. Because we _had_ to, of course... but I think that we're past hiding things now."

"I think so, too," Adrien beamed. "And I'm very glad of that."

* * *

The two of them cleared the table, once the meal was done, and deposited the various dishes in the sink.

"I'll take care of... hmmm?" said Adrien, reaching for the dish pile but being stopped short by Marinette.

"Oh, no. Not yet," Marinette purred. "Someone was _very_ sweet and cooked me dinner tonight. So you're not touching those dishes, I am... and not until after dessert."

"I, um... didn't actually make anything for dessert," worried Adrien.

Marinette leaned up and nibbled on his ear. "You _are_ my dessert," she whispered. "I spent half the day imagining it."

"Mmmm," Adrien grinned. "Now, _that_ I can arrange."

* * *

Their kissing spilled out of the kitchen and into the living room. Each of them considered leading the other to the bedroom... but they didn't seem destined to make it that far. Marinette was down to her panties by the time they reached the sofa, and was pulling at Adrien's belt with insistent hands and hungry eyes.

He laid her down on the sofa cushions and let his mouth wander down from her neck, rewarded by small, breathy moans.

Audrey poked her head around the corner and trotted towards them, investigating the unusual sounds. As she got closer, she sniffed the air inquisitively as she watched them. She made a face, as if thinking, " _This AGAIN?_ ," and zoomed back down the hallway for the time being.

"Nothing too... complicated right now," Marinette gasped, sliding her panties down her legs as she watched Adrien shed his boxers. "We can play later. Right now, just... come here."

Her arms wrapped around him as he climbed on top of her, her legs guiding him forward. In seconds, he was in position, and the two began rocking together as one.

* * *

There was an urgency to Marinette's desire... but also an unhurried aspect to it. She was beyond the point where she could've spent another minute without this kind of intimacy, without the one she loved against her, beside her, inside her... but once that had been achieved, she shifted mental gears and welcomed a measured pace, the two of them pausing at intervals to rest, to kiss, to caress, to simply stare into each other's eyes and feel their mutual joy, to savor the moment.

During one such interlude, Marinette rose, guiding Adrien to a seated position. Mounting him, allowing herself to sink down into perfect alignment _v-e-r-y_ slowly, she exchanged _I love you_ s with him with their expressions alone, without either of them making a sound...

...which was the moment that she glanced to her left and noticed Nooroo staring at them from the hallway, as if entranced.

"Hey, you! _Out!_ " she yelled at him, drawing Adrien's attention as well.

"Oh!" gasped Nooroo, suddenly aware of his blatant faux pas. "I am sorry, Marinette! I did not mean to intrude upon - I was merely - I heard a strange sound, and -"

"Apologize later! Move it, _now!_ " Adrien ordered him.

The Kwami darted into the bedroom, sputtering apologies as he went, and Marinette and Adrien looked at each other and simply burst into laughter.

* * *

"I wonder if Master Fu ever had to do that?" Marinette giggled.

"I wonder what Master Fu would think if he could see us now?" Adrien wondered, with a big smile.

"That this was meant to be," breathed Marinette.

Another long, loving embrace followed, with just enough rocking of the hips to remind them of what was in progress.

"Maybe we should finish this quickly," Marinette grinned, "before anyone else comes to check on us."

"Quickly, you say?" Adrien grinned back, taking hold of her and lowering her onto her back again.

"Mmm-hmmm..." gasped Marinette, whose ability to speak or think left her about five seconds later.

* * *

A few minutes after that, an exhausted, entangled heap of limbs made a fair attempt at regaining its components' breath and composure, or at least avoiding rolling off the sofa.

"Oh, _wow_ ," Marinette panted, her eyes slowly opening. Green eyes were gazing down at her, their owner glistening with sweat, the look on his face hinting at combinations of pride and happiness and the unique kind of vulnerability generated from what had just happened.

"Hi," Adrien breathed, helplessly.

"Hi, honey," Marinette glowed back. "How was _your_ day?"

"I could get very, very used to this," said Adrien. "Not just... _this_ ," he clarified immediately, "Everything about you. Just being with you. Quiet times like this. Though, I must say... this might be the sweetest dessert that I've ever had."

"There might be second helpings later... if we have the energy," hinted Marinette. "It is the weekend, after all. Though as much as I just want to trap you here..."

She wrapped her arms and legs tightly around him, as if any amount of willpower would've dislodged him from that position at that moment. "Gotcha," she giggled. "But I don't want to feel like I'm being _too_ clingy, right? You do have a place to go home to."

" _A_ place, yes. For the moment, at least," Adrien replied. "It's okay, I guess. It could be a lot worse. But if I'm going to hang onto it, I need to figure out _something_ in the next couple of months."

Marinette looked up at him with wide and serious eyes. "I, um... don't want this to sound like I'm moving way too fast," she ventured. "But this _isn't_ just a random hookup or a meet-cute. We have quite a history, and I know that I could make room here, if you need it."

Adrien let that sink in, sensing how seriously she meant it.

"You _could_ get used to all of this, very quickly," said Marinette. "And, yeah, I'm quivering a bit saying that to you."

"I can feel that," Adrien stammered.

"Not just _down there,_ " she laughed, hard enough that their weight shifted and one became two once more. She rolled over and tucked her legs underneath her as she and Adrien sat up, trying to prevent even more reasons to immediately launder the sofa cushions.

"You don't have to answer that right now," Marinette said, a bit more quietly. "It just popped into my head, and like you said, we have a little time to figure things out. But one way or another... we are going to put your life back together, you and me."

"And one way or another... I need you to be part of it," smiled Adrien.

"Even if my place is a little bit crazy?" Marinette smiled back. "With a kitten who gets into everything, and a kitchen the size of a matchbox, and an occasional Kwami who gets caught perving on us?"

"I was not... _perving_ on you," came an indignant, tiny voice from down the hall. "I was merely _investigating_ something that I was not sure of."

"Actually... Nooroo, would you come in here, please? And call Tikki to come here, too. I promise you that we're done doing _that_ for now," called Marinette. "But I did think of a first step towards helping Adrien today, and I need to talk to all three of you about it... and I would need your help, Nooroo."

Adrien stared at Marinette with some awe on his face.

"...What?" she grinned.

"That look. The Marinette Dupain-Cheng Has A Plan look. Or the Ladybug Has A Plan look. Same intense eyes, different costume," said Adrien. "Though I must say that your current costume might be my favorite."

"You _would_ ," laughed Marinette. "It certainly would've gotten Hawkmoth's attention."

"But when I see that look... I know to hang on for dear life," Adrien finished. "What's on your mind?"

"I hope that you keep that sense of humor nearby," she replied, as the Kwamis arrived. "Because you three may or may not like this idea very much."

* * *

As Marinette relayed her idea... the room fell silent.

"No," said Nooroo, somewhat emphatically. "I can't... I _won't_ do that. I will never, ever, _ever_ go back there. Not to _that_ house."

Marinette gave him a sympathetic look. "I am not going to order you to do that, Nooroo; I may be the Guardian, but I don't work like that. And if it gives you the willies that much, and I completely understand why... I'm not going to _ask_ you to, either."

The Kwami's relief at that faded slightly as she continued. "But... you _are_ the only one of us who knows where Hawkmoth's hidden lair is. Where Adrien's mother was... and still might be. And we _know_ that there are no Miraculous in that house any more; there is no more Hawkmoth, no more Mayura, no more threat."

Nooroo's tiny bottom lip quivered a bit as he replied, "I understand that... but that remains too much to ask of me."

Adrien looked nearly as shaken. "You _really_ want to do this, Marinette?" he wondered.

"I do, if you would want me to." She looked at Adrien, judging how on board he might or might not be with the concept. "I am not planning on storming his house as Ladybug, grabbing him by the ear and throwing him across the Seine no matter _what_ we find, I promise. We are all taking this one tiny step at a time. But what occurred to me... is that the last thing you told me about your father, the straw that broke the camel's back, was that he had been keeping your mother somewhere nearby and the explosion could've affected her, right?"

"R-right," confirmed Adrien, hesitantly. "Which I can't imagine being true... but he seemed sincere at the time. He was too angry and distraught to run a bluff."

"And, Nooroo... what you've told us seems to confirm that, and that both Hawkmoth's lair and Mrs. Agreste's... resting place, I guess you could call it, might be underground beneath the mansion," added Marinette.

"I am sure of that," Nooroo answered. "I know what I saw with my own eyes, many times."

"So that's my first step. Kwamis can pass through earth and walls and physical barriers... so if someone knows where they should go, Tikki and any other volunteers could find that hidden lair and see if she is still there. If she is still in that state of suspended animation that Nooroo described... and if she is, what they can tell us about her condition."

Marinette reached across and took Adrien's hand as she continued, giving him as much support as she could. "And _that_ could give you some closure, as a start. You have a ton of guilt riding on your shoulders, Adrien, over what he _claimed_ you might have done... and you may not need to have any. _Or_ it could tell us that we need to look elsewhere."

"I hate to say it, Nooroo... but if Adrien wants to know the truth, I actually like this idea," stated Tikki. "I know that I can get in and out with no trouble, and avoid being seen; I'm an old hand at that kind of thing. And if you don't want to go, Nooroo, I can go alone, or bring one of the others with me. I just don't know where to go, or how long it would take me to find it if it's hidden that well."

"I know where the hidden elevator was," Adrien added. "That's a start. But I don't know how it works or where it goes."

Tikki looked at Adrien with curiosity. " _Do you_ want to know if she's there?" she asked. "We need to know that before this discussion goes any farther."

"Absolutely," Marinette agreed. "I could do it on my own, but I'm not moving without your go-ahead, Adrien."

Adrien swallowed hard as he thought it over.

"I... I do," he said, finally. "Maybe you'll find that she's long gone, or that she's there but that nothing can be done. I can prepare myself for that. But if there's even a small chance that she's still there, even if all we do is confirm that I didn't k-kill her by accident..."

Nooroo watched Adrien's face with mixed emotions. "I can't go back into that man's house. I just _can't,"_ he apologized. "Just... too many nightmares about him somehow capturing me again. Even though I know that it couldn't actually happen..."

"Then that much is settled," said Marinette, gently. "I would not put you through that, Nooroo. I promise."

"But get a pen and paper, please," Nooroo added. "I'll describe as best I can what I know, and where it goes, and what you might find there."

* * *

The game plan evolved as Adrien described the mansion's floor plan, Nooroo added what details he remembered, and Marinette's pencils sketched out her best impressions of what each of them were saying.

"Marinette... you're not wrong; Kwamis can pass through solid matter," said Tikki. "But the denser and thicker it is, the more unpleasant it is for us. So, like I'd said, I am willing to do this, but I would rather follow the path of least resistance."

"Meaning that if this elevator shaft, for lack of a better word, is still there and it's empty... by all means, find it and take it," agreed Marinette. "And if you get there and it's, say, nothing but rubble down there... don't force your way through it if it's hard on you to do that. Come back and let me know, and we'll find another way. I do have a Plan B in my head."

"What does _that_ involve?" wondered Adrien.

"You using Nooroo to give me a certain set of powers... and _I'll_ do the snooping," she replied. "But that might involve Nooroo's consciousness riding shotgun with mine... so it would be kind of like dragging him along with me, and like he said... that's not on his wish list, and I respect that. I'm still thinking about what Plan C could be."

"If that proves absolutely necessary... we can talk about it," Nooroo grimaced. "On the plus side, there should be no... _defenses_ to worry about. Tikki will not show up on security cameras, or by any kind of mechanized systems, no matter what he's added since we left. And anything else that he had in place was reliant on my own power."

"Good to know," said Marinette.

"When were you planning on doing this, Marinette?" wondered Adrien.

"Well... what time did everyone usually go to bed around your house?" she replied. "I'm free tonight."

* * *

Around one in the morning, a small hatchback slowed down as it approached the Agreste Mansion, finding a place to park by the curb.

"All right," Marinette declared, sitting behind the driver's seat. "It's showtime. Are you two clear on what we'd like you to do?"

"I am," Tikki replied. "Stay low and go fast. When we get to the house, fly up and sneak in through Adrien's old window. Work our way downstairs, find the elevator platform, find the lair, find Emilie's chamber, take notes on what we see. Then get out and report back."

"And then we go home and figure it out from there," added Trixx. "We shouldn't be discovered, but if _somehow_ someone's awake and sees us, I'm there to cast a quick illusion to cover our escape. Not that we couldn't just zoom straight out anyway, but... best to be sure, right?"

"Perfect. Anything that you can discover will mean so much to me. Thank you both for doing this," Adrien smiled.

"What about the Book of Lore?" asked Tikki. "From what we know, it should still be on the premises..."

"No, don't go after that. Not now," Marinette instructed her. "I mean, I would love to recover that, but even if our old information on its location is correct, that involves moving a painting, opening a safe... we don't know if it might be alarmed now... one of you would have to carry it out, and by your standards, it's pretty heavy... it isn't worth the risk."

"That's fair," Tikki agreed. "Are you ready?"

"Ready as can be," smiled Trixx.

On Marinette's signal, the two Kwamis flew out of the window, up and over the perimeter wall, and rocketed along the grass towards the mansion.

* * *

"This is his room, right?" asked Trixx.

"It was, yes," said Tikki. As the two of them slipped through the glass, she added, "And it looks like... it still is."

The Kwamis floated around the room, examining its contents carefully. A computer desk, a foosball table, a wall of movies and books, an expensive-looking piano, and everything a young man could want...

"Mr. Agreste only had one child, right?" Trixx wondered aloud.

"That's right," Tikki confirmed, quietly. "It's been years since I've been here, but everything looks... unchanged! As if he'd never left."

"And weirder yet," said Trixx. "If this was Adrien's room, and Adrien's been gone for years... notice anything strange about the place?"

Tikki followed his lead, examining some nearby surfaces. "Yeah. Everything is spotless! Not a hint of dust anywhere."

"Not like any teenage boy's room I've ever seen," Trixx smiled.

"Beyond that, though. You would think that they'd either close the door and never go in here again... or they'd throw all his stuff into storage, or sell it, or whatever and repurpose this room for something else," reasoned Tikki. "But it's as if they're... _preserving_ it. Taking good care of it. Keeping everything perfectly clean. Even the bed's been made."

"Like, if Adrien came home tomorrow... he could step right back into how things used to be," mused Trixx. "But I thought his father said _that_ would never happen, that he was gone for good."

"People say quite a lot of things in the heat of the moment," Tikki sighed. "But in the light of day... and the day after that, and the day after that, and the day after that in a house that's now quite a bit emptier..."

"Yeah, I get that. But _this_ is... I don't know whether it's reverential or creepy," shuddered Trixx. "C'mon! Let's do what we came to do."

* * *

The Kwamis zoomed down the hallway to the main staircase, then into Gabriel's atelier. They moved with the silence of night itself, at least after Tikki chided Trixx for whistling a spy-movie theme as he flew.

Once in the atelier, they stopped before the abstract portrait of Emilie that they'd been told to look for. "So, that's the woman of the hour, hmmm?" said Trixx. "She's pretty... even after what that artist did to her."

"Heh. Symbolist artwork is an acquired taste," chuckled Tikki. "The inspiration for this was done with real gold leaf. This one might be, too. I would imagine that he spared no expense on it."

"And _those_ ," Trixx declared, "had nothing to do with the artist. Look!" He pointed out the hidden buttons in the lower portion of the painting, without touching them.

"Good eye! So we're definitely in the right place." Tikki pondered that for a moment, then declared, "I'll be right back."

"Marinette said not to try to bring the book back!" hissed Trixx, as Tikki flew towards the painting's upper half and prepared to zip through it.

"I'm not retrieving it. I'm just going to see if it's still there," Tikki replied, before she disappeared.

* * *

The inside of the safe was pitch-black, of course... giving Tikki a bit of trouble working out what was what. But in such a small space, operating by feel wasn't all that difficult, and the scent of the book brought Tikki's mind back immediately to days long past.

She reached out and touched ancient leather, then felt the intricate design on the front cover.

 _That's it,_ thought Tikki. _This cannot be anything else._

She allowed herself a sentimental moment, picturing her hosts from centuries past, one of whom was depicted within these pages. Thinking of the kind and gentle man who'd worked hard to protect this book's secrets, and from whom both book and memory had been stolen...

 _I'll be back for you,_ she told the grimoire, silently. _Believe that._

Zipping back outside, Tikki gestured downwards to Trixx. "It's there," she confirmed. "Which means that what else we are looking for... would be straight down, if we can get through to it."

"After you?"

The two of them took a breath, then passed down through the floor... and, as they'd hoped, found a long, hollow cylinder underneath.

* * *

Their first stop was a side chamber, one that made the Kwamis pause before entering.

"This _reeks_ of foul energy," grimaced Trixx. "What kind of woman _was_ Emilie, anyway?"

"From everything Adrien has told us, she was kind and gentle. This has to have been Hawkmoth's lair, and nothing to do with her," Tikki replied. "I don't know if there are any booby-traps in there, no matter what Nooroo told us, so... next time, maybe."

"Fine by me. From the aura around it, I wouldn't go in there without a flamethrower," Trixx shuddered.

They spiraled further down the shaft, hoping that the second chamber was more promising.

* * *

A sealed door at the bottom of the shaft ended their journey.

"It smells a lot better here, at least," Tikki smiled, before the pair passed through it.

"Whoa," Trixx declared, looking around as best she could in the dim light. "Who _builds_ something like this underground and can keep it a secret?"

"I bet that he paid a _fortune_ for it," admired Tikki. "And I think he did it twice. See the walls up there?"

She gestured to the ceiling and upper walls of the large chamber that they'd entered. "That looks like fairly new construction, don't you think? Like, you can see where the style changes there... and there... and where that spot there got reinforced. I think that most of this room got taken out when Chat did what he did... but maybe not all of it."

"And over there..."

Trixx gestured towards a pile of machinery at the far end of the chamber, dimly lit by an overhead spotlight. "Jackpot," he smiled.

The two of them approached hesitantly, not expecting traps or alarms but not knowing quite what else to expect, either.

In the midst of the computers and consoles, they found a long, rectangular chamber with a glass front. The Kwamis hovered in front of it, gazing at the sleeping woman within.

"I thought that Nooroo said it was gold in color. And vertical," wondered Trixx. "This is the right woman?"

"Do you see any other people in cold storage down here?" countered Tikki. "And she certainly fits the description. It could be that something did hit her containment system or the computers that maintained it, and they had to replace it in a hurry."

"Now, here's a dumb question. If what took her out was a _magical_ backlash... if poor Duusu was misused, and this was the result... would she even _need_ any of this?" Trixx asked. "Would the magic itself keep her going? Because I'm no doctor, but this doesn't look like she's receiving 24/7 care down here. Not a lot of visitors."

"A good question, not a dumb one. I doubt that Mr. Agreste would take any chances, and would want her environment to be as pristine as possible, but..." theorized Tikki. "I believe that there's one way to try and find out."

"Be careful," Trixx warned her.

"Oh, I will. I'm no doctor, either, but I know how they say 'first, do no harm,'" Tikki replied. "But this is what we came to find out, so..."

Without another word, Tikki zipped through the glass front and into the chamber with Emilie.

* * *

In the car, Marinette and Adrien waited anxiously. Marinette watched Adrien fidget in his seat, then gestured for him to lean her way and wrapped her arms around him.

"No matter what they find," she told him, "nothing will change between us. I will be here for you. I will love you, and I will help you however I can. You are so brave right now."

"Yeah. Brave," smiled Adrien, sheepishly. "I _almost_ went home!"

"Given what happened the last time that you were there? _Yes!_ " Marinette scolded him. "There will be no debate about _that_."

She ran her fingers through his hair, very lightly. "I know the sweet, gentle man that I'm holding right now," she soothed him. "Someone who wouldn't hurt a fly, but would give his all to protect one in need. People like you don't come along every day. I need to help take care of this one."

"It's funny," said Adrien, "but I kind of got a pep talk on that today from someone else."

"Oh?"

"Someone small and red," Adrien added. "She gives pretty good advice."

"She does, doesn't she?" smiled Marinette. "If you ever feel like talking, either one of us will listen."

"Oh, I know, and I'm grateful," replied Adrien. "And if I-"

Two small blurs, one red and one orange, flew into the car at that moment.

"Whoa! Speak of the devil," Marinette said. "Are we good? Do we need to move?"

"We're fine. We were undetected, and we found what we were after. And some other interesting things, too," Trixx smiled.

"...You found my _mother?"_ asked Adrien, haltingly.

"We did," said Tikki. "And I am not an expert on these things. But if I had to sum up her condition in one word, I think that it would be..."

Adrien held his breath.

* * *

_"...dreaming."_


	12. When Knowing Is Half The Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For the first time in many years, Adrien Agreste knows the truth; his mother is ALIVE! (Mostly. It's complicated.)
> 
> Which is a heavy thing to lay upon an already-fragile young man. Tikki, Trixx and Nooroo do their best to make sense of the situation, compare notes and work out the facts between themselves. Marinette, on the other hand, has one additional task that's extremely important to her... getting Adrien through the night in one piece. Some pillow talk, some reminiscing, and some reassurance all come into play.

Delicate, Chapter 12

* * *

" _Dreaming,_ " Adrien repeated, as if the word was somehow new to him.

"I don't want to say much more yet," Tikki cautioned him. "We need to talk about this with Nooroo, and compare notes on some things before I get your hopes up too high."

"But she was _there!_ " gasped Adrien, his full attention on the Kwamis. "You _found her..._ you found my _mother_... but you're not _sure_ about that, somehow?"

"I don't mean to interrupt," Trixx jumped in. "Though, actually... yes, I do. Adrien, we do have a lot to talk about. Right here, right now?" he said. "Outside your father's house at one-thirty in the morning? _Probably_ not our best option."

"I have to agree," Marinette said. "Adrien... I'll take you home to your place, if that's what you want, and we can meet up and talk about this tomorrow. But I really, _really_ don't want to do that tonight."

She gave him a very worried expression, and added, "I don't think that I want you alone right now."

"And I don't want to be," he replied. "Let's get out of here... please."

* * *

The group reentered Marinette's apartment a short while later.

"I'll take Trixx for now, if you like. You're not used to wielding two Miraculous at the same time... I know that you've done it, but you're a little fragile right now, and I don't want to put you through that stress," offered Marinette.

"Thank you," Adrien replied. He handed Trixx's Miraculous to Marinette, took a deep breath, and retrieved Nooroo's brooch off of Marinette's nightstand.

With a faint popping sound, Nooroo reappeared, looking concerned. "Hello, Master," he greeted Adrien. "Your errand was... successful, I hope? You escaped?"

"There wasn't anything for me to escape from, Nooroo, and you know that. The only two who went inside were Trixx and Tikki," explained Adrien. "And they wanted to speak with you about what and whom they found."

"We saw no signs of anyone awake," Tikki reassured Nooroo. "That was a reason that we picked the time that we did."

"And I would like to show you what we found... if you're okay with that," added Trixx. "We need to know that we're interpreting it correctly, and, well... you're the only one of us who's seen it already, and would know if anything's changed."

Resignedly, Nooroo nodded.

* * *

Tikki and Trixx began detailing their progress through the house to the group, beginning with Adrien's untouched room, the contents of which got a confused reaction from Adrien.

"I'm not quite sure how to put this," Trixx ventured. "For someone who went all dramatic and yelled 'I HAVE NO SON' at you, he sure didn't act like it afterwards, if that's any indication. It's like he's got it all ready for you, in case you were to turn up tomorrow and want to move back in."

"I... wouldn't go that far," Tikki cautioned. "But I will say that I suspect that your father's emotions may be... more complicated now than they were that night, in the heat of it."

"Join the club," muttered Adrien, quietly.

Next came the investigation of the atelier, and the discovery of the elevator mechanism and the Guardians' Book of Lore. Neither drew any surprise from Nooroo, naturally.

"I wanted that book so badly that I could _taste it_ ," Tikki groaned. "But I had no practical way to get it out of the safe undetected, so... next time."

Marinette considered that. "How much do we actually need it right now?" she wondered. "I mean, it _is_ something priceless, and part of the history of the Miraculous... but if we do get it back, I can't read it. I know that Master Fu had too much respect for it to write in the margins; he took separate notes on it, and even _he_ couldn't decipher parts of it. Now, those _notes_ I would love to recover, because they could help me make more sense of it."

Adrien nodded in agreement. "The day that I read through it, the pictures were fascinating, but that's all that I could figure out. Though that shouldn't be surprising," he added, "if even Master Fu couldn't crack the codes."

Trixx shrugged. "And we're not even allowed to _look_ in it, because there are things in it that we're not supposed to ever know. So it would be cool to have, but I don't think that we-"

" _It belongs_ with the _Guardians_ ," Tikki insisted. "Not with _that man_. I will not compromise on that."

"I'm... not going to argue about it," replied Marinette, a little surprised at Tikki's fire. "I agree with you, but it's one of many things that we have to consider about this situation."

As the description continued down the elevator shaft, the tension in the room grew thick. Marinette reached over and took Adrien's hand in hers as they listened.

"We didn't enter what we assume was Hawkmoth's lair," said Trixx. "The aura coming off of that was like... like cheese that not even _Plagg_ would eat. Absolutely repulsive, even after all this time!"

"Nothing honorable took place in that room," Nooroo stated, flatly. "It would require a thorough fumigation to become habitable again, and likely a couple of exorcists as well."

"I do not doubt you there," shuddered Tikki.

"And then you found the chamber where my mother is," Adrien interjected, nervously. "I don't mean to rush you, but I am _dying_ over here. Tell me what you found there?"

"No, I won't," Trixx replied. "This is too important for us to just describe it... I need to _show_ you."

* * *

Trixx closed his eyes and began concentrating. A few quiet musical notes escaped his lips as glowing energy formed around his paws.

Adrien stared at him, wide-eyed.

"You didn't think that Plagg was the only Kwami who could use his power independently, did you?" whispered Marinette.

"N-no! Of course not," Adrien smiled. "I've just... I don't know if I've ever seen this one up close before. I've watched Rena make illusions, but not Trixx..."

Trixx thrust his arms out, casting the energy ball into the room... which transformed immediately around them into a miniaturized version of the chamber containing Emilie's resting place. Even in its miniaturized state, it took up most of the room in front of them.

"There!" he beamed, self-satisfied but still concentrating. "This is an illusion of _exactly_ what I saw there. Now, don't touch it, or it'll disappear. I can even zoom in on parts of it, if you tell me what you want to see and you don't distract me."

"Not to touch it, I remember," Adrien replied, peering closely at it in awe. " _This_ is underneath the mansion?"

"Most definitely," Tikki agreed. "Nooroo, you have been in here many times, right?"

"I have," nodded Nooroo. "At times, it was where the Master seemed the most... human. Certainly where he showed the most reverence for anything or anyone besides himself."

Nooroo stared intently at the illusion, his eyes half-closing. "Though it appears that he has done some remodeling," he noted. "That is not the protective chamber that I remember. Trixx, this is _precisely_ how you found it, not your best reconstruction from memory?"

Trixx frowned at him, replying, "You know that it is. When I want to be, I can be very precise."

"Then I feel somewhat relieved," Nooroo responded. "I had dreaded the notion of the entire room collapsing in upon itself when... what happened, happened. It looks more to me that it suffered some damage, perhaps some chunks falling from the walls and ceiling that have been replaced, but for the most part it was spared the brunt of the explosion. The vast majority of what I see looks intact. I presume that if something hit the mechanisms supporting the chamber, the Master would have bent heaven and earth to repair or replace them immediately."

"...And inside the chamber?" asked Tikki, gently. "That is whom we believe it is?"

Concentrating, Trixx centered the illusion on Emilie's capsule.

"You could ask him that," Nooroo guided her, gesturing towards Adrien, who had tears streaming down both sides of his face.

* * *

"I'm here, Adrien," murmured Marinette, leaning closer to him.

"I know," Adrien breathed. "And I know that... that..."

He broke down for a moment before managing to continue his thought. "This is the first time I've seen her... the real her... since I was a boy," he gasped. "Tikki... you said that she was _dreaming_. That I'm not looking at her corpse right now. What did you mean by that?"

"Just what I said," Tikki replied. "I entered her chamber, very carefully, and examined her every way that I could. Her body is... how should I put this? The combination of the magics involved and the technology that Mr. Agreste installed has preserved her very well. She feels cool to the touch, but not the cold of death. She has not... well... _decayed_ physically. And the aura that my senses see when I look at human beings... hers is faint, but very definitely still glowing. It reminded me of what I see when I watch Marinette dream at night. It was subtle... but it was there."

"...I wish that Wayzz had been with us," she added. "He is the most attuned of all of the Kwamis to such matters, and he could probably have figured out more. But to the best of my knowledge, based on what I saw and felt, your mother is alive. Not in the 'going to wake up from her nap any day now' sense, but in that there is a... _something_ within her, that is waiting patiently."

"W-will she... _can_ she awaken?" Adrien asked, holding his breath. "Is there anything that can be done to help?"

"That... I do not know," apologized Tikki. "On all counts. I'm sorry."

"But this confirms what we thought that we knew," Marinette said. "That Hawkmoth... that your _father_ was honest with you that night about what had happened to your mother. He really was trying to bring her back to health... he took care of her as best as he could... and that when he disowned you, part of that was from fury and anguish that he might have just lost _her_ for good."

"Either from the explosion... or from no longer having any way to seize the two tools that might have brought her back," Tikki agreed. "And, I stress, _might_ have. You both know well the reasons why our Wishes are extremely dangerous."

"But that was part of why we wanted you to come here and talk with Nooroo first," Trixx said, gently. "This has to be the shock of a lifetime for you, Adrien... and we didn't want you rushing into how to respond to it, until all the facts were known. We kind of imagined you finding this out and activating my Miraculous, then charging in..."

"Don't worry," Adrien mumbled. "I think that the _last_ time I busted into Father's bedroom taught me my lesson on _that."_

* * *

"I'm not going to ask if you're okay, Adrien... because I can't imagine any world in which you could be," Marinette ventured. "Do you have enough clean clothes here to stay another night?"

"I do. Not that that would stop me at this point," Adrien sighed.

"I do own a washer and dryer, of course. And it is the weekend, so I could just lock the door and have you run around here naked all day, until it's done," grinned Marinette.

"You could do that anyway," said Adrien, a smile returning to his face.

"The thought _had_ crossed my mind," Marinette teased. "But somehow I don't think that we're focused on that right now."

"You can be _awfully_ inspirational, but no, we're not."

"How about this?" ventured Marinette. "Get yourself ready for bed, and I'll do the same. Curl up with me, and we can sleep, we can talk... whatever you need tonight."

"That sounds perfect," agreed Adrien.

"Ahem," Nooroo interrupted. "I believe that we will give you two some privacy for a bit, and talk amongst ourselves... unless we are needed, presently."

Rummaging through a dresser drawer for a pajama set, Marinette turned and looked at Adrien, questioningly.

"Go ahead," Adrien encouraged him. "I think that I need time to think and process things before I do anything else." He paused, then looked at his tiny friend with concern. "Are _you_ all right, Nooroo? Those weren't pleasant memories for you, either."

Nooroo smiled at him in response. "The mere fact that you asked that comforts me," he deferred. "I will be fine."

The Kwamis floated off towards the door, presumably to compare notes further.

Adrien rummaged through his bag and obtained a fresh set of boxers, which he switched into. He turned around and saw Marinette in sleep shorts and her bra.

"Could you get this?" Marinette motioned towards the bra strap.

Deft fingers worked the hooks, and the deed was done. "Thank you," she smiled, leaning back for a quick kiss before donning her cotton top for the night. After a quick bathroom run for each, Marinette hit the lights and the two of them climbed beneath the small bed's covers, facing each other.

* * *

"Hi," Marinette smiled, reaching out to him gently. "How are you holding up?"

Adrien's face was tense, as she'd expected. "I... don't know quite how to feel right now," he began. "It's, like... my mother is _alive!_ That alone... that's the most amazing, wonderful news I've ever gotten. It's been _so long_ since I could say that."

"Her accident, whatever it was, wasn't long before we met, right?" prompted Marinette. "So you would've been thirteen or fourteen when it happened."

"Yeah. Near my birthday," confirmed Adrien. "Not exactly the present that I'd asked for. The two of them went off on their trip... and only Father came back. And the most excruciating part of it was the _uncertainty._ "

"He really didn't tell you what had happened to her? I mean... I _know_ that he didn't tell you anything about the Peacock until the night that you confronted him," Marinette wondered. "But what did he say to you _then?_ "

"That she had 'disappeared.' And he wouldn't say more than that," Adrien grumbled. "What does _that_ mean? I asked him, 'Did she fall down a well? Did aliens abduct her? Did she get on the wrong subway train on the way to the airport? _Tell me_ what happened!' And he merely kept repeating that she was gone... and that he blamed himself. He refused to say whether she was dead or alive, whether he _knew_ if she was dead or alive, if she might come back someday..."

"How could he _do_ something like that to his only son?" Marinette gasped. "That's not just refusing to dangle false hope in front of you. That's just plain... _nnnnnnngggh!_ "

"As sad as it sounds to say... I got used to it," sighed Adrien.

"This is where you hold onto me, Adrien," frowned Marinette. "So that _I_ don't transform right now and go yank him out of bed and give him an earful. Or a lot worse than that!"

"Like I said a few minutes ago, I wouldn't recommend that experience," he replied.

 _"No!_ I mean it!" Marinette insisted. She wasn't moving from that spot yet, but Adrien put his arms around her anyway. "I am just... _horrified_ right now at how he treated you."

She looked at him with sad eyes. "When I first met you, Adrien," she continued, "it didn't take me long at all to see what a sweet and caring person you were. My 'sunshine boy,' I used to call you in my head. But for all that sunshine, I could tell that there were deep shadows there, too. That you were bearing quite a burden, and I didn't know quite what..."

"Even I didn't know quite what," Adrien replied. "Not entirely."

"But that was part of what made you special. Some people are just born that way... like Rose, for instance. She'd have to work pretty hard _not_ to be warm and bubbly," said Marinette. "But with you... it was like, it was your nature to be compassionate and bright, but with everything weighing down on you... it took a lot of effort on your part, too. Those smiles and kindnesses were _earned_ , you know? And that made it all the sweeter when you still gave them."

Marinette reached out and touched Adrien's face, lightly. "I think that was part of why I was so... afraid to tell you how I felt back then," she added. "That I felt like you were troubled enough. I was so in love with you, and I treasured every moment I spent with you, but deep down I just couldn't believe that there was room in your life for me like that... and if I told you, it would just be one more burden on you, something else you'd have to deal with, trying not to hurt me when you let me down easy."

Storm clouds grew behind her eyes once more. "And to find out that your father helped cause all that pain in your life, by _lying_ to you like that!" she growled. "I don't know how I could ever forgive him for that... let alone _you_ ever forgiving him."

Adrien lay very still, searching for how to respond to that.

* * *

"I'm sorry," Marinette apologized, abruptly. "I'm comforting _you_ and here I am making it kind of about _me."_

"No, you should," Adrien replied. "Because you were a huge part of my life back then, right when I was dealing with the worst of all that. A much bigger part than either of us knew, of course... but leave the costumes out of it for now. You meant so much to me, Marinette, just as yourself."

He managed a smile as he continued, "Now, I'm not going to lie to you and say that there weren't days when I didn't know quite what to make of you," he admitted. "This incredible girl, this source of so much light in my life... you got so shaky around me sometimes, like I never saw you get around anyone else. And I spent a lot of time wondering why... trying to figure out how I was failing as a friend."

"You were _so not!_ " interjected Marinette. "Not at all!"

" _Now_ I know that," he soothed her. "But I was young and dumb. I was so busy being in love with you and not knowing it, because you were hiding behind your mask... and not realizing how hard I was falling for _you_ , until I thought that it was too late... _and_ dealing with everything else."

He laid his head back on the pillow, staring up. "No one had ever loved me like that before. Not the way that you did. So pure and complicated and perfect. And with all of the distractions in my life... I didn't know how to process that, how to recognize it. And that hurt you... and I'm sorry for that."

"You have nothing to apologize for, Adrien. Nothing," Marinette replied, leaning over him.

"No, I owed it to you to tell you... to _show_ you what you meant to me. How much I looked forward to seeing your smile in class every day," he smiled. "How much your being there made _me_ want to be there."

"It's so much easier when we're not fourteen any more," said Marinette, wistfully. "We know how to _talk_ to each other now."

"I mean it, though. Marinette, you were a big reason _why_ I made it through some of those years. And I never want you to forget that."

The soul-searching paused for some long and tender kisses, because there was no way that it couldn't at that moment.

* * *

Three Kwamis huddled together above Marinette's living room, choosing a meeting spot near the ceiling to avoid feline interruptions. For her part, Audrey had hopped up on the couch with some curiosity as to whether the new orange thing would squeak or taste good when chewed upon, but recognized that they were out of her leaping range.

"Okay, _that_ was one heck of a ride. Is the kid going to be okay?" Trixx wondered.

"For tonight? I think so," said Tikki. "He's literally in the arms of the best source of spiritual healing he could ask for. They both have so much to think about, and they will carry each other through that, I'm sure. Going forward? Well..."

"He is a strong young man. And steel is stronger for being tempered," Nooroo added. "Though some doors are opening that I would rather see remain closed."

"His father cannot be _that_ fearsome, can he?" argued Trixx. "There have been hosts who have misused Miraculous to far worse ends. Hawkmoth was foul, I'll grant, but he stopped short of atrocities that he could have caused. And his ultimate goal was not entirely self-centered."

"There is... _some_ truth to that," sighed Nooroo. "I have been used twice by far more vindictive and bloodthirsty hosts... but Gabriel is a different breed. The two I mentioned used my powers to pillage and slay, but they treated the Miraculous and its powers with respect, as a tool to be honored. They understood the gravity of their actions even as they engaged in them. Gabriel's sheer... _indifference_ was worse, in its own way. He chose not to rip the spine of Paris in two only because it did not serve his immediate purpose. With his cunning... I would put nothing past him."

"So that makes him _worse_ than some of the criminals and murderers we've seen?" asked Trixx, not in agreement yet on that.

"Who is more contemptible?" Nooroo countered. "A person without conscience or morals or respect... or a person who possesses all, but deliberately chooses to ignore them?"

"Either way... I feel that what is building up is necessary," Tikki mused. "To provide Adrien with some sense of closure, at the very least. And if anything _can_ be done for his mother... would you leave her in Gabriel's clutches indefinitely, if he really is such a beast?"

That concept shook Nooroo a bit. _"Is_ there anything that can be done for her?" he parried.

"I don't know yet. Not with the knowledge that I possess, at least," conceded Tikki. "The Miraculous that damaged Emilie is gone, so we are unable to study it. We cannot do more than creep in and steal an occasional peek at her. And a Wish has two huge problems; the unavoidable balancing effect and its repercussions, and requiring Plagg's cooperation."

"And we know the odds against the second one," Trixx replied. "He is still _pissed,_ and I can't blame him much. So asking him, 'Hey, would you come out and help warp reality on behalf of Nooroo's abuser and his son, the Miraculous-killer?' That's a non-starter."

"But we have set chains in motion this evening," grumbled Nooroo. "Adrien knowing his mother's fate will both comfort him and torment him. He will want to see her with his own eyes, will he not? I cannot imagine otherwise. And that means a confrontation with the Master."

"You sound like he's _still_ your Master," Tikki pointed out. "And you _know_ that is no longer the case."

"Of _course_ he isn't! But I still would not face him again," Nooroo murmured, covering his face with his hands. "And I would not see my _true_ Master face him, either. So if that is now inevitable... we had best have a _flawless_ plan for how to proceed."

He stared at Tikki, not with malice, but with a challenging tone nonetheless. "Do we?" he asked.

Tikki's brow furrowed.

"I'm working on it," she said.

* * *

Adrien lay in Marinette's embrace, drawing comfort from it.

"I don't know what to do now," he said, flatly. "No idea at all."

"I can't blame you there," Marinette agreed. "I have some vague ideas... and that's it."

"It's funny, really," Adrien continued. "Those years where we battled Hawkmoth, fighting side-by-side... we knew why we were there; to protect people. And I'm very proud of that, all the good that we did... but we never knew what Hawkmoth wanted. Or we did... but we didn't know _why_."

His voice became somewhat distant. "I don't know what I would have done if I'd known why."

Marinette let that hang in the air for a moment. "I think I do," she said, quietly. "We trusted each other with our very lives sometimes. I know what my partner would have done." As she sat up, looking him in the eye, she added, "And I know what he _did_ even when he knew the truth."

"He didn't do enough when it counted. He thought of himself, and the life that he led, instead of justice. He tried to make a deal with the devil himself. And if Nathalie had given him a little more time to think about it, instead of going on the attack-"

 _"Adrien_ ," Marinette snapped, a bit more sharply. "You were a kid facing an impossible situation. You had no idea your mother was on the premises; how could she be? You were sure that you knew every inch of that house. You tried to protect Paris by resolving the Hawkmoth threat once and for all. You tried to protect _me_ by doing that. You did the best that you possibly could've."

A reply boiled on Adrien's lips... then faded.

"You're right. I know you are," he allowed. "And I am going to take Tikki's advice and try to look forward, rather than back. I can't change how that night went... though now that I know that I didn't kill my mother in her sleep, it'll go down a little easier in my brain."

"Good," said Marinette, with a small smile. "Because I'm keeping you, anyway."

 _"Nobody_ could deserve that," Adrien smiled back, "being lucky enough to belong to you."

After a tender moment, he spoke up again. "This just feels so... strange to me now," he opined. "Not _this,"_ he corrected himself hastily, indicating Marinette's embrace; "nothing could feel better than _that_. I mean... that I've spent _years_ imagining what happened to Mother. How she could have disappeared, where she could be now, what I could do if I ever got a lead on that... but I never had a clue where to start. I kind of did - their trip to Tibet was where it happened - but I couldn't exactly say 'Hey, Father, I'm off to Tibet for the weekend to root around.'"

"And even if you had, you would've been half-a-world away from where she actually was, it turns out," agreed Marinette.

"But _now_ ," he exclaimed, "I know precisely where she is, thanks to your help. I know that she's alive... and can I say how weird _that_ feels? Just to have _certainty_ after all this time... and, yet, I still don't! Without either a full-on Miraculous rampage or Father's cooperation, I can't get to her. And even if I did, I have no idea what I could do then, without causing more harm than good. I thought that I had harmed her once, and the guilt nearly crushed me."

"I don't know what to do," he repeated. "My mother is alive... it's what I wanted more than anything else, my family reunited... but it was never _apart_. I would've fought every Akuma at once to save my m-mother from Hawkmoth... except she's who he _belonged_ with, after all. He was trying to save her, and I was trying to _st-stop that_..."

"Adrien..." murmured Marinette, her concern rising.

"My mother is sleeping in a box; she has been for _years_. And I know where it is, right now. And my f-father did terrible things... all for her. For _me_ ," Adrien sobbed. "And I don't know how to save either one of them."

Marinette snuggled up to him. "I know what you're going to do. Roll over," she directed him.

"Hmmm?" he wondered, but complied, and was rewarded by Marinette wrapping herself around him, her chest pressing up against his back, her arms hugging him tightly. Her legs stretched out and captured one of his, her bare feet crossing and locking it into place.

"You are going to lay here tonight," she whispered, "and be held. All night. You're going to know that I'm here, that I love you, that I'm going to help you once we figure out how. You're going to let out everything that you need to. I know you, Adrien Agreste; you bottle things up. You can handle anything, because you just tuck those emotions away for a rainy day."

"Well," she added, "right now... it's raining. And I'm your umbrella."

She held on tight, rocking back and forth with him as the dam finally burst and he cried and he cried and he cried.

And sometime in between then and morning... mercifully, sleep arrived.


	13. Good Morning, Good Afternoon, We're Still Figuring Out The Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien wakes up at Marinette's place with a mix of emotions and the smell of coffee in the air. Over breakfast, he and Marinette talk about the previous night's revelations... as well as what might come next. A phone call indicates that it just might be a light supper at Marinette's parents' house, which they eagerly accept.
> 
> Adrien gets to know Marinette's parents a little better; he and Tom talk for a while, while Marinette asks her mother for a little advice. Afterwards, Marinette comes to a decision and steps out for a little while before inviting Adrien back to her place. And Adrien is... curious.

Delicate, Chapter 13

* * *

Slowly, Adrien Agreste opened his eyes.

A warm spot against his leg told him that he had company... though of the small, white and furry variety, rather than the girl who had cuddled him gently to sleep after his brain-rattling evening. He reached down and stroked Audrey's head, getting an appreciative purr in return, then slowly rose to a sitting position.

 _Hello, first day of the rest of my life,_ he thought. _And how are you today?_

He took in his surroundings with his head still spinning somewhat from the night before. Cocking an ear, he determined that the shower wasn't running yet, and briefly wondered if he should start it on his own... but, _nah_ , he reasoned. _Not yet._ _Those are far more satisfying when I have company. And I suppose that my first task of the day is to figure out where she went..._

Adrien stood up, stretched briefly, and glanced back at Audrey on the bed; she gave him a look like _Why on earth would you leave this comfort?_ , stretching a paw lazily in his direction, but did not otherwise stir.

 _One nice thing about a small apartment,_ he smiled, _is that I shouldn't have to go very far._

* * *

"Well, hello there," a smiling Marinette greeted him from her kitchenette, still in her pajama short-set from the night before. "I hope you don't mind that I snuck out here... my eyes flew open on their own and were staying that way, and you needed the rest."

"Not at all," Adrien replied, meeting her there for a brief good-morning kiss. "But I hope that you weren't kept awake worrying about _me_."

"I don't think that was it. I know that I got a fair amount of sleep, once you drifted off," she parried. "I mean, I had quite a bit on my mind, of course... but I'm not even turning that into a contest, after last night. You've got that won by a landslide." Gesturing to the countertop, she told him, "The coffeepot's on. Want some eggs?"

"Sure, I'd love some," said Adrien.

"Say either 'over easy' or 'scrambled' next. Those are the two that I remember how to make," Marinette grinned.

"I'd ask for Eggs Benedict, but I'll assume that you're all out of Benedict," Adrien quipped back.

"Guilty as charged," she smiled back. "How are you feeling?"

"Pretty good, considering. I guess," said Adrien, pouring out two cups. "Where should I take these?"

"Over to the table by the sofa, I guess," Marinette told him. "We can get comfortable there and talk."

"It's like... well, first off, thank you for being there for me last night. I don't know what I would've done without you," Adrien called as he walked their coffee over.

"You were _not_ leaving my sight without a fight," declared Marinette.

"Yet another reason that I love you," he beamed. "So, for now... I mean, I'm still trying to wrap my head around what I learned. It's not all bad, you know? My mother is _alive!_ Kind of. At the very least, _I_ didn't hurt her. Father did terrible things... but for a reason. A selfish reason, but it puts so much of what we did as Ladybug and Chat back then in a new light, right?"

"It does," Marinette agreed. "Not a forgiving light, I don't think... but at least a more explainable one."

"Which leaves me with one big question," Adrien considered. "What the hell do I do _now?_ "

He watched as Marinette brought a plate over to him, then took a seat next to him on the sofa. "I know that in the old days," he mused, " _nothing_ could keep me out of that house right now. Claws out and _charrrrrge!_ Straight through the front door, grabbing Father by the collar and demanding that he take me to see her immediately. It's still tempting... even without claws."

"I know the feeling. After all these years, to finally know who Hawkmoth was, and why, and what else that he was hiding from you? I want to go and wake him up with a red-and-black foot up his ass," growled Marinette. "But something about that doesn't feel quite right to me. He has been taking care of your mother all this time, in his own weird way. He doesn't have a Miraculous any more. He's mostly helpless. We could storm in as Ladybug and... well, whichever one you'd want to borrow, but it would almost be like _bullying_ him now, no matter how much he deserves it."

"As far as he goes... I don't know what I think right now," Adrien sighed. "It's complicated. But knowing that Mother is there... I'm going to have to deal with him, one way or another."

"You were going to do that anyway, weren't you? It was part of your plan when you came back to Paris," Marinette pointed out.

"It wasn't much of a plan. Part one was 'come back to Paris,' and part two was 'figure it out from there,'" admitted Adrien. "But now... I close my eyes and I picture her there. I know that she's not going anywhere... that there isn't a big rush to do this for her sake... but there certainly is _for me!_ "

"I'm thinking about that. I can't say that I have a full plan for that yet... but I'm working on it," said Marinette, quietly.

 _I have more than a plan than I'm saying yet,_ she thought to herself. _Because I'd like to come up with something better... and so far, what I've thought of, even I don't like very much._

* * *

A few minutes later, Marinette's phone rang. She glanced at it, explained "Mama" to Adrien, and picked up the call with a pleasant greeting.

Adrien tried not to eavesdrop as Marinette and her mother chatted... not that Marinette was making any effort to hide anything, of course. He munched on his eggs as the conversation continued. A fuzzy sensation against his leg told him that Audrey had decided to join them, after all; looking down, he saw a small and eager face, more than willing to relieve Adrien of the burden of such a heavy plate full of yummies.

He watched as Marinette listened to something, smiled broadly, then said, "Can you hold on just a moment, please?" and put her phone on mute. She turned to him and asked, "Are you doing anything in particular later today?"

"Not that I know of. What's up?" asked Adrien.

"Mama's making her tuna casserole tonight and wanted to know if I would like to join them. Would you be up for a light supper like that?" Marinette wondered.

"Sure! It'd be nice to get to see them again," Adrien replied.

Marinette returned to her phone conversation. "I'd like that very much... but would it be all right if I brought a plus-one?" she asked, brightly.

Adrien continued listening to Marinette's half of the discussion. "A Mister Adrien Agreste. ...Yes, I know you did. Just fine. In fact... Well, yes..." He watched Marinette turn a bit red and ask, "Mama, are you _sure_ that you want to ask that question?"

Once she had disconnected a few minutes later, Adrien asked her, "What was that one question that you didn't want to answer?"

"Oh... whether you'd been _overnight_ company, since you were here for breakfast," Marinette blushed, grinning. "I may be living on my own, but I'm still Mama's little girl deep down, you know?"

"...And what did she say to _that?"_ Adrien replied, looking a little uncertain.

"That _Are you sure that you want to ask that?_ was enough of an answer... and that she wasn't surprised by that. Something about 'always kind of been hoping for you two,'" giggled Marinette. "Which is all the information she's going to get about _that_. That we're together, sure... but I don't think that she'll want too many intimate details."

"Whereas your friend Amy would want a recording with full commentary and multiple camera angles," grinned Adrien.

That got a big laugh out of Marinette. "Probably!" she agreed. "And maybe a director's cut."

She took a sip of her coffee and gave him a somewhat more serious look. "You don't _have to_ come along for supper, you know... though you're _certainly_ welcome," she ventured. "I'm loving every minute with you, but I'm sure there are things back at your place that you might want to attend to. I don't want to seem too clingy."

"By all means... cling! Cling!" Adrien replied. "But I could touch base at home, I guess... do a little laundry, freshen up..."

"Run through the shower... unless you'd rather do that here," deadpanned Marinette.

"Is that an invitation?" smiled Adrien.

"I _have_ gotten awfully used to having someone handsome here to wash my back," Marinette smiled back. "And if my mother's going to speculate, I might as well have a _reason_ to blush once we get there."

"Oh, _definitely_ ," agreed Adrien, inhaling the rest of his breakfast rapidly.

* * *

Not _too_ much later...

Marinette walked Adrien to his car, slowly. "I feel silly. I don't want to let you go... even though I'll see you again in just a couple of hours," she laughed. "Obviously, you remember where the bakery is..."

"Uh-huh. That's how I found you here in the first place," Adrien reminded her. "Your mother told me where to look."

"That's right, she did. You'd told me that the first night that you came here," remembered Marinette. "So go take care of business... text me when you're ready, and I'll meet you over there. Dinner won't be fancy; it's just the four of us for a family dinner, so no need to dress up too much."

"That sounds good. Do you have plans for later?" asked Adrien.

Marinette hesitated just long enough for Adrien to notice. "Not... exactly?" she evaded. "Let's get through dinner and we'll see what we feel like doing then."

She covered for that by throwing her arms around his neck and leaning in close. "I'm _sure_ that we can think of something," she purred. "We seem to keep coming up with some awfully good ideas."

"No complaints from here," Adrien agreed, enthusiastically. "And even my Kwami seems to approve."

Nooroo popped his head out of Adrien's pocket, looking mildly indignant at that. "I am simply happy that _you two_ are so happy together," he declared.

"Nooroo," laughed Marinette, "you are _also_ always a welcome guest here, as I'm sure that you know. Any time you want access to the Miracle Box, you know right where it is now, and all about its white, furry guardian."

"And its human Guardian... of whom, I must say, I wholeheartedly approve," smiled Nooroo.

Another kiss threatened to turn into a few dozen, so Adrien ducked into his car with some reluctance and headed for home.

* * *

Once back in the apartment, Marinette closed the door, kicked off her shoes and performed a quite theatric flop onto the sofa.

"Tikki?" she called. "Are you nearby?"

"Of course I am," Tikki replied, flying out from the studio room. "I was just giving the two of you some private time together. Adrien certainly needed it."

"He certainly did! For the night that he had last night... he handled the morning better than I might've expected," Marinette pondered. "I mean, much of it _was_ good news. His mother is alive, and he didn't seem to have harmed her that night. That alone is a huge load off of his chest."

"Agreed. Now... did I overhear you say that you have a plan in progress?" asked Tikki.

"I do," confirmed Marinette. "And that's one reason why I asked you in here... because now you get to talk me out of doing something rash, emotional and logically questionable."

Tikki paused, watching Marinette watching her, then shrugged. "Ah, you're serious," she replied. "For a minute there, I thought you were making some kind of 'beating Chat Noir at his own game' joke."

"A joke? No," Marinette replied. "But beating Adrien to the punch... might be part of it."

* * *

Adrien collected his mail - just junk mail and a utility bill, neither of which impressed him very much - and entered his apartment, slinging his overnight bag aside. With privacy restored, Nooroo floated out into the open and watched Adrien settle into a chair, looking anxious.

"Are you all right, Master?" asked Nooroo. "That was quite the ride for you last night."

Adrien glanced at Nooroo, thinking of chiding him about 'Master' once more but feeling too weary to press the point again. "Honestly? I'm kind of shaky," he replied. "I didn't want to look too overwhelmed in front of Marinette... she's already so worried about me, that's obvious. I don't want to be a burden on her."

"That ship has clearly sailed," Nooroo declared. "You two have a _bond._ She is an integral part of your life now, and you of hers. Short of making a mad dash for the border once more - which I most _sincerely discourage_ \- you are not getting out of this situation without her assistance."

"Oh, I agree with you there, on many levels," Adrien agreed. "And it's not as if I didn't come back to Paris intending on confronting my father. If anything, I have _more_ leverage now than I thought I would! And the best moral support in the world. But..."

"...But?" inquired Nooroo.

"But I don't know how to go about it now; everything just went crazier by half. Like, I can't just whistle and have the Miraculous Construction Company bring in cranes and lift Mother out of there. I don't know what disturbing that machinery would do to her, or where I could go with her and it, or where she could be better off than right where she is now," Adrien mumbled. "I kind of have to take Father's word for it - and Tikki's - that Mother is at least stable there."

"So then what?" Adrien continued. "Do I go back to Father, hat-in-hand, and beg forgiveness and ask to see Mother's resting place? Knowing that he may throw me out on sight? Do I play on his better nature, if there is any of that left... on my being his only son... on the love that we both have for her? Do I have to resort to threatening to reveal his secret to get him to comply? And even if I get him to agree, _then_ what? Will this be a regular thing, like, oh, I'll stop by the house on Fridays and see Mother and he and I just won't look at each other while I'm there?"

"I am the _last_ being that would suggest that you simply forgive... _him,_ or that you should try to mend _all_ of those broken bridges," Nooroo shuddered. "I do not know how far that you could comfortably go in that direction. I know that I cannot follow, if you do."

"And just like Marinette told you... I am not taking you in there, I promise," Adrien assured him. "I would not do that to you."

" _Thank_ you," a relieved Nooroo replied. "And yet... as insane as it seems... as you say, your mother is firmly in... _his_ care and will remain so. So for you to gain access to her... some form of reconciliation may be necessary. And that may also be necessary for you to piece any of your old life back together, as was your original intention."

"Do you think that there is any hope for her?" wondered Adrien. "You have spent more time watching Mother than the rest of us combined, in Father's company. You know more about Duusu and the accident that hurt Mother in the first place. I know that the Wish is out; Plagg wouldn't help _me_ do that in a million years, and I know what that would cost even if he would."

"I... I do not know," Nooroo apologized. "I was never given permission to enter her chamber, so I did not examine her closely... and I am not particularly attuned to human physiology. I will say that before... the incident, Nathalie used the Peacock and degenerated rapidly; if she is largely healed now in its absence, which I suspect that she is, that is at least a good omen that such ailments can be fixed. But your mother's injuries were far more severe, I was told."

"Yeah. If he could have fixed her, somehow... he would have," Adrien sighed.

"He may know more than he has told even me," Nooroo advised. "But picking his brain is not an easy task."

"It never was."

* * *

Marinette watched as Tikki flew up close to her forehead. "What are you doing?" she asked her tiny friend.

"Checking your temperature," Tikki declared. "Because after hearing that idea of yours, I think that you might have a high-grade fever."

"I'm not crazy about it, either, all right?" countered Marinette. "This is why I am _talking it out_ first. Help me figure out a better way to do it."

"To do what you said... Marinette, you have to know just how many potential doors that would open. How much risk you would be taking - and not just for _you_!" argued Tikki.

"I know... But it would be a calculated risk," Marinette said. "Look at it this way. I fought Hawkmoth and his creatures how many times? We kicked the crap out of each other and we solved exactly _nothing._ In the end, he was still out there, plotting away, and I was still here, fixing whatever he broke. But I have something _now_ that I didn't have then..."

"...Information," Tikki finished the thought.

 _"Yes_ , _"_ emphasized Marinette. "I know who Hawkmoth was. What he wanted. Why he wanted it. Most of what happened that put him in that situation. And more than that," she reasoned. "We've been keeping an eye on Master Fu's old studio for how long now?"

"Well, since he left us. Going on four years now," said Tikki.

"And have we ever found any signs of attempted entry, or anything missing, or any other indications that Hawkmoth went looking there for whatever artifacts or clues might've been left behind?" argued Marinette. "I don't think that _we've_ found everything that was hidden in there. Hawkmoth and Mayura had Master Fu's tablet, with any secrets or hints that he might've written in it. I can't imagine that he wouldn't have been tempted... unless he really _did_ have no interest in power for power's sake. Unless he had just one goal, and Chat and I remained the only keys to it. He knew that we weren't there, and he wasn't looking for anything else."

"So what do you mean by that?" asked Tikki, still looking uncertain.

"I mean that I can't just _give_ Gabriel Agreste what he wants... his wife back and healthy. I don't know how to do that," replied Marinette. "And I can't just give him his son back... not unless both of them decide that they want that. But I do know that the boy I love is hurting _badly_ right now; he put on a brave face today, but I can always tell."

Her face turned wistful. "And if there's anything at all in my power that I can do to try to help with _that_..." she murmured.

"...There's nothing on this Earth that can stop you. I know," sighed Tikki. "Okay. Version one of your plan needs to be shot into the sun. You don't like it; I _hate_ it."

"I kind of expected that," Marinette replied, trying not to look offended. "Though don't sugar-coat it, or anything."

" _But_... if you want to minimize _some_ of the risk in it, maybe we can work with this. How about if..."

Tikki ran through a handful of suggested alterations. Marinette's face brightened as she considered them, offered suggestions and tweaks of her own, and spent the better part of the hour working out an improved game plan with her Kwami.

* * *

"She _did_ tell you not to get all dressed up," Nooroo chided Adrien.

"This isn't 'all dressed up.' This is just... nice."

Nooroo gave Adrien a jaded smile. "Pull the other one," he chuckled. "You've been back-and-forth between your closet and the mirror for half an hour now."

"I _am_ going to have dinner with my girlfriend's parents for the first time tonight..."

"Whom you've met several times before, I'm told," countered Nooroo.

"Not since I was a schoolboy... and briefly, even then," said Adrien. "They haven't really seen me grown up like this."

"You spoke with her mother last week, to find out where Marinette lived. She certainly saw you then."

"Seriously?" grinned Adrien, good-naturedly. "I'm not going suit-and-tie. I'm not putting all sorts of stuff in my hair. I'm not going as Adrien Agreste the Fashion Model, which I didn't do back then even when I still _was_ a fashion model! I just... want to look... _nice_ for her. For them."

"Oh, I am not complaining. You do look nice," replied Nooroo.

"Good. So your point is...?

"Nothing. Please, continue," Nooroo smiled.

* * *

Tikki watched Marinette pick out an outfit of her own. "Are you going to let Adrien in on this first step before you do it, if you do it?" she wondered.

Marinette paused, blouse in hand. "Do you think that he would try to stop me?" she asked.

"Almost certainly. _I_ still want to."

"You do see what I want to accomplish, don't you?" asked Marinette.

"Of course I do... but I still think this is quite a gamble. And I'm not sure how Adrien will react to it," argued Tikki. "This is a very delicate situation."

"I can't solve this all by myself, and I'm not trying to," Marinette countered. "I will need Adrien to be part of... to be the _main part_ of what follows. I just want to... you know... set the table for that, as much as I can."

"I know that you're sure that this is what needs to happen.. I just need you to be extra-careful, like we talked about," sighed Tikki. "Talk before you act. _Think_ before you act."

"I promise, I will," said Marinette, slipping her blouse over her head and reaching for a skirt. "Believe me, I'm not taking this lightly."

"I do like your outfit today," Tikki acknowledged. "That shade of green looks good on you. Though I thought that this was just a regular family dinner..."

"Oh, I'm not dressing _up,_ " Marinette replied. "I just thought that this would go nicely with what else I'll be wearing tonight."

"You know... it really does," Tikki agreed.

* * *

About an hour later, Adrien walked over to the Dupain-Cheng Boulangerie, having parked a short distance away. A lovely young lady stood by the curb, waiting for him. As he approached, Adrien let out a low whistle of appreciation.

"Marinette... you look _amazing,_ " he admired. "And I was worried that I'd overdressed."

"You're just fine as you are. More than fine, if I dare say it," Marinette grinned back. "C'mon; we'll go in through the back door, instead of through the bakery."

Adrien extended his arm to her, and Marinette gladly reached out and curled her hand around it. As they walked down the path to the back door, Adrien noticed that Marinette seemed almost giddy in the moment. "Are you all right?" he asked. "You just seem... _supercharged_ right now."

"Oh... I'm just being a little bit silly," she blushed. "My younger self must have imagined bringing you home like this eight thousand times."

"Well, I'm happy that I could finally bring that fantasy to life," chuckled Adrien. As Marinette looked up at him, he added, "And I'll promise you now... this is just the _first_ time we'll do this."

His reward was a pair of adoring, beautiful eyes shining back at him. "That would be wonderful," Marinette breathed. "Shall we?"

"Whenever you're ready."

* * *

"Hello, hello!" boomed Tom as the door opened. "Welcome! We're very glad that you could make it."

"I'm very glad to have been invited," Adrien told him, as Marinette leaned in and hugged her mother. He reached out a tentative hand, not sure if he was expected to initiate a hug of his own, and was relieved when the big man pulled him into a hearty handshake.

"It's good to see you again. My, you have grown!" marveled Tom. "I remember a skinny blonde boy when last I saw you," he noted. "You've filled out into an even more impressive young fellow."

"And you look like you've lost a bit, Sir. Meaning that in a good way," replied Adrien.

"You have a good eye, Adrien," Tom remarked. "Or did Marinette tell you about what's gone on with me? Either way... yes, I have dropped a few kilos. Some by choice... some not so much."

"When he offers to show you his incision scar... tell him 'no, thank you,'" laughed Sabine. "It was just a stent."

" _Just_ a stent is much easier to say when it isn't in _you_ ," Tom chided her, gently. "But, yes, it could have been much worse. The lifestyle changes afterwards have been the more taxing part."

"Though necessary," Sabine noted.

"Though necessary, yes," echoed Tom. "Anyway... come in and relax, please! Supper should be ready in about fifteen minutes."

* * *

As the family gathered around the dinner table, the conversation quickly centered around Adrien.

"So how have you been keeping yourself?" asked Sabine. "I know that we used to see your face all over the city... and then that sort of stopped."

"It did," confirmed Adrien. "My father and I had a... well... a breakdown between us a couple of years ago. We haven't worked together since."

"Hmmm," Tom grumbled. "A professional breakdown, or a personal one?"

"Both, in a matter of speaking. He had an ethical lapse - a series of them, actually - with which I couldn't reconcile myself. I don't want to go over all the sordid details, but suffice it to say that it got very heated between us."

"Oh, dear," Sabine sympathized. "And if I remember correctly, he was the only family that you had over there..."

"Precisely. I was old enough... barely... to venture out on my own, so I did. Agreste Fashions is a well-oiled machine; they found someone else for the magazine ads and the billboards."

"So where did you go?" wondered Tom. "What have you been doing since then?"

"Wandering, for the most part. Learning whatever anyone would teach me. I had my own savings backing me up once Father cut me off-" said Adrien.

"He _cut you off?_ As in, disinheritance?" Tom's eyes went wide. "But you were just a boy!"

"As I said... this argument cut deeply. And I stand by why I did what I did... though I'm not proud of all of that."

Marinette took his hand in hers. "You don't have to say anything that you don't want to, honey," she told him.

"Definitely not!" Sabine clarified. "We're simply curious, that's all. This isn't an interrogation."

"Thank you," Adrien smiled. "Anyway... I spent a year in Spain, advising a small fashion house but not modeling for them. They couldn't pay much, but it was more about the experience than the money. A couple of months working with fishing boats in Denmark, if you can believe that! Getting my hands dirty, for once, until the season ended. Other odd jobs as I could find them, until, well... the money started to run low. I thought about it, and Paris seemed like the place to go."

"And why was that?" Tom asked. "If there was such bad blood there, waiting for you?"

"That was true... but I also had some of my best memories in Paris," explained Adrien. "It isn't the cheapest place to live, but it is full of opportunity for those looking for it. And there were people here that I truly wanted to reconnect with..." He gave Marinette's hand a squeeze and added, "One of them in particular."

"She has no complaints about that," grinned Marinette.

* * *

The conversation continued as the four of them passed the entree and sides around the table.

"Are you planning on reconnecting with your father?" asked Sabine. "Will that even be possible?"

"Part of me would like to, for many reasons," sighed Adrien. "He may be a pig, but he _is_ my Father. I have heard that he has been... struggling over there on his own, personally. But much of that is up to him. I would like to think that all wounds can heal with time, but I also know his temper, so... I have been rolling around in my head how to even begin that process. I don't have an answer yet."

"Hmmph. That is most unfortunate," Tom sympathized. "So what are you doing now?"

Nervously, Adrien glanced at Marinette before answering. "I am... uh, between jobs right now," he allowed. "Unfortunately, my last name makes me rather untouchable amongst Paris's fashion houses; if Father retains a grudge, and I have no reason to think that he doesn't, any one of them who so much as gave me an interview for modeling would likely be blacklisted. Even diminished as he is, he retains enough influence in the industry to start quite a whisper campaign, I'm sure. So I'm checking job sites regularly, looking for whatever would seem interesting at this point."

Tom looked at Sabine, who shook her head with a smile. "Tom... I know what you are thinking," she declared. "I don't know that we have anything that we could offer... much less to keep a young man in a comfortable lifestyle."

Adrien interrupted, looking worried. "Ma'am... I did _not_ come here tonight to ask for a job, I promise you that," he interjected.

"Oh, I know, I know, dear! I just know my husband and his big heart," Sabine told him. "We added a couple of part-time workers after Tom had his health scare, to take some of the load off of him... but they're just that, part-time help for a few hours per week, not a full living wage."

"You might be surprised at how mundane my lifestyle is these days. I may come _from_ money, but I'm quite happy living without much of it," smiled Adrien. "I have a small apartment out in the 12th arrondisement, and it's nothing fancy. Father's the one who always had his public image in mind. I look at it this way; I have a good education, which you'd know because Marinette and I shared so much of it, and there _are_ other circles where my name might open some doors. Even if that isn't how I'd want to get my foot in the door somewhere..."

"Sometimes, you take what opportunities life gives you, Adrien, however they happen," suggested Tom. "I wouldn't feel bad about that."

"And even if they're not in the industry that I know best," continued Adrien. "I know that there are lots of things that I _can_ do. It's just a matter of convincing someone else of that. I have a couple of months before I'd need to worry about making rent."

"Hmmph! I'm surprised that Marinette hasn't offered you a place to stay with her, so you could save on expenses," smiled Sabine, slyly.

 _"Er_ , um... well..." stammered Adrien. "We _have_ only been reunited for about a week..."

The fact that Marinette turned beet red in response wasn't lost upon Sabine, as she shot Marinette a surreptitious wink.

* * *

After a small but delicious dessert, the table was cleared. Tom engaged Adrien in further conversation as Marinette joined her mother in the kitchen.

"Well?" Marinette asked, taking her place at the sink with drying towel in hand.

"Well, what?" Sabine replied, without turning her head from the casserole dish in her hands. "You don't need _me_ to tell you that you two are made for each other."

"I think so, too," said Marinette, quietly. "But he's sitting on a powderkeg with his father, as long as he's here in Paris. He wants to find a way to bridge the gap... but it's a really _big_ gap."

"Do you know what happened between them? You don't have to tell me exactly what it is, if you do. But do you?" wondered Sabine.

"I do," Marinette answered.

"Just how bad _is_ it?"

Marinette gulped hard before replying. "It's pretty bad. _I_ don't think that it's unforgivable by either of them; Adrien's willing to give some ground now if his father is, I think. They both said and did things that they regret now, and neither one had all the information that they needed when that happened. But I'm not Gabriel Agreste, and I can't tell you how he'd react," she said.

She paused. "Can I ask you something?" she asked her mother.

"Of course you can."

"There's something that I feel like I could do to help. And he _needs_ help. You heard him; he either finds some kind of... middle ground with his father, or he'll probably have to leave town in a couple of months."

Sabine sat the dish down in the soapy water and turned to her daughter. "You're not talking about just giving him a place to stay, are you?" she asked. "You're talking about something to do with his father. About _intervening_ somehow."

"Yeah," admitted Marinette. "Nothing... _too_ dramatic, _"_ she declared, hoping that it seemed more believable than it actually was. "If Adrien just shows up at the front door, I feel like his father will scream first and never even get to the talking part. And there are a couple of things that _he_ needs to know before he should do that."

"And you think that you're the right mediator for this," said Sabine.

"I might be the only one who can be," Marinette replied. "I'm the person that Adrien is closest to in Paris. I've met Mr. Agreste before. I know more of the whole story than anyone else that he could ask to do this."

" _Did_ he ask you to do this?" asked Sabine, pointedly.

"He did not. Not directly," worried Marinette. "But I know that he's _really_ unsure of what to do now. And the information that his father needs to know... I have, and I don't feel like I'd be violating Adrien's trust by sharing it. And I'd be far less likely to make his father explode if _I_ show up _._ And I don't want Adrien to _stop me_ from doing this."

Sabine shook her head, resignedly. "You realize that you're putting _yourself_ into a minefield, right? You could bruise Adrien's feelings _very_ easily by doing this. And as someone who still wants to be a big-name fashion designer someday... Gabriel Agreste could be a very dangerous enemy to make."

"I don't care what Mr. Agreste thinks of _me_. His son is part of my life, and that's that. He can't shake me loose from that," insisted Marinette. "If I can do something good for Adrien, that's what matters."

"And I know you well enough that you're not asking for permission... you're going to do this no matter what I say," chuckled Sabine. "You would like me to tell you that you're doing the right thing."

"That... would be good to know," Marinette muttered.

"I can't tell you that for sure. But I do know that you have a huge heart, and that you are mad about that boy, and that you would never do something to hurt him on purpose," Sabine said, very gently. "Are you _sure_ about doing this?"

"If I was completely sure... would I be fishing for your opinion like this?" parried Marinette. "But, yeah, I'm sure. I can see a car crash on the way, and I want to hold up a Stop sign before it happens. Reroute the traffic. Make what needs to happen, easier to happen."

"Then do what feels right to you. Just... tread lightly. And be careful," her mother suggested.

"Oh, I plan on that," said Marinette. "Thank you so much."

 _I'll have to be more careful than you can possibly imagine,_ she thought. _But even though I'm NOT completely sure about this... it needs to happen._

* * *

As evening arrived, Marinette and Adrien walked out to his car, hand-in-hand.

"So... did you enjoy yourself?" Marinette asked him.

"Of course I did," Adrien replied. "The food was excellent, and the company, better. I'd never had a chance to spend much time around your parents before, but now I wish that I had! Your father and I talked for quite a while there... They are both _really_ nice people."

"I like to think so, yes," beamed Marinette. "And it should be obvious that they both approve of _you_. Not that I'm surprised by that, but I _am_ Papa's only daughter, so... that still means something."

"Uh, yeah! It does," smiled Adrien... remembering a time when his masked self and her Akumatized father hadn't seen quite so eye-to-eye on that. "So... what do you have in mind for tonight? If you would like more company, I can pack another overnight bag for tonight, or if you're all Adriened-out for now..."

He'd meant that playfully, so he was surprised when he sensed some slight hesitation from Marinette. "Um... yeah! Yeah, I'd like to have you over again... but I have a little errand that I need to run first," she evaded.

"Oh? Is it anything that I can help you with?" Adrien wondered.

"Not really? Not... yet, anyway. It's... complicated? But it's really nothing _that_ much," Marinette babbled. "I just need to stop at home for a minute... how about I'll text you when I'm ready, and we can chill out tonight?"

Adrien blinked. "Of... course we can do that. You're sure that I can't help?" he asked.

"I'm sure. You're a sweetheart for asking, though. I'll let you know very soon."

* * *

Marinette gave him a goodbye-for-now hug and kiss, and waved from the curb as he drove away. Adrien considered her behavior as he rounded the first corner.

"Did something seem unusual about that just now?" he asked.

"N-no?" murmured Nooroo. "Well, perhaps just a little."

"Huh. I wonder what could be so important?" said Adrien. "Did you wander off with Tikki while we were eating?"

Nooroo went silent, briefly. "Actually... I did not," he ventured, leaving it at that.

Adrien pondered the situation, then came to a decision, making a sharp left turn.

"Mas... Adrien, what are you doing?" asked Nooroo, looking surprised.

"Going around the block. Checking on something," Adrien replied. "I'm curious."

He pulled up to the curb within visual distance of the Dupain-Cheng home and waited. A few minutes later, he saw Marinette's hatchback pull out and head down the road.

"Are you all right? What do you think is going on?" Nooroo wondered.

"It's no big deal, Nooroo. Marinette's a big girl. She can come and go as she pleases; she doesn't need anybody's permission," reasoned Adrien. "And I don't _need_ to know where she's going. But one thing does have me curious..."

"What's that?"

"She said that she had to stop at home first. Well... her apartment is _that way_ ," Adrien pointed. "So if she's heading _THAT_ way, instead... I wonder where she's headed?"

Nooroo closed his mouth.


	14. A Little Something You Should Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette makes her move... ringing the doorbell at the Agreste Mansion, dispensing with Nathalie's brush-off satisfyingly, and confronting Gabriel Agreste in his own dining room. She has quite a lot on her mind... and, soon, so does he. 
> 
> Adrien and Nooroo have their own little debate over what to do next. Nooroo, obviously, wants to get as far from the mansion as possible. Adrien... isn't so sure.
> 
> And before the night is over, some surprising truths come out. Gabriel views his young visitor in a very different light, Marinette views Emilie for the first time... and what comes next is far less clear.

Delicate, Chapter 14

* * *

Once again, a small hatchback slowed down as it approached the Agreste Mansion, finding a place to park by the curb. This time, however, its occupant prepared herself to leave the vehicle and to ignore the pounding of her heart.

"I need to do this. I am going to do this," Marinette told herself. "This is going to happen."

"I do hope that you grasp the full implications of this," said a tiny voice. "But I'm here for you, in either case."

"I appreciate that. Really, I do," smiled Marinette. "Okay..."

The car door opened and closed. Marinette walked over to the front gate, approaching the doorbell. In her mind, she imagined her younger self at that precise spot, clutching a box containing a blue scarf for Adrien with both hands, only to be dismissed without fanfare...

 _If nothing else, we are not playing THAT game again,_ Marinette thought.

She rang the doorbell. After a few moments, a hidden compartment by the mailbox sprang open once more, with a video screen once again containing Nathalie's perturbed face.

"...Yes?" the assistant barked. "We only accept deliveries between twelve and four, whomever you are."

"This is not a delivery. I would like to speak with Mr. Agreste, please," offered Marinette, politely.

"Heh! Good luck with that," declared Nathalie, and with that the compartment slammed shut.

The doorbell rang once more, recalling Nathalie's image to the scene.

"I have business with Mr. Agreste," Marinette stated, flatly. "And I did not appreciate that."

"You and a million other wannabe models and designers," snapped Nathalie. "Beat it."

"I am going to say this as politely as I can," Marinette barked, before the screen could disappear again. "There is an easy way that we can handle this... and a hard way. I would prefer the easy way."

"Are you _threatening_ me?" bristled Nathalie. "Just who the _hell_ do you think you are, little girl?"

Marinette took a deep breath.

"A friend of Nooroo's."

Nathalie's face froze, all at once; she tried to keep her expression impassive, but that wasn't in the cards. If Marinette had found a way to throw a coconut cream pie through the intercom system and hit her in the face with it, she might've been less startled.

" _Wait right there_. Please," mumbled Nathalie, and the compartment closed. About two minutes later, the front gate swung open.

"Yes... I had a feeling that might do it," smiled Marinette, feeling a bit self-satisfied.

* * *

At the front door, Nathalie stood warily, having watched Marinette approach. She refrained from assuming a defensive stance, but it was clearly some mental effort for her to avoid that.

"...I _remember_ you," Nathalie declared once Marinette got close. "You were one of Adrien's classmates."

"I was, for two years, yes," agreed Marinette. "And you are Nathalie, Mr. Agreste's assistant."

"Now, you are going to _explain_ to me what your purpose here is, before I allow you to go any further," ordered Nathalie, with some authority returning to her voice. "What, exactly, did you mean by what you said?"

"The fact that you - and, presumably, Mr. Agreste as well - reacted to that name so strongly is rather telling, isn't it?" Marinette replied, coolly. "There is only one reason that you would know it. So... we can either stand out here and dance around the subject, or I can come in and say what I need to say to your boss and then be on my way. I apologize for dropping by unannounced like this, but this isn't really the kind of topic for which one makes an appointment."

"I suppose not," replied Nathalie, seeming less certain of herself. "May I give him the name of his visitor, at least?"

"My name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng," she replied.

The two entered the mansion; Nathalie directed Marinette to wait outside a large double-door, momentarily. She entered, closing the doors behind her, then returned with a steely gaze.

"Mr. Agreste will see you now," said Nathalie. "Enter, please."

* * *

Outside the Dupain-Cheng residence, Adrien's car sat motionless.

Nooroo watched him, a curious expression on his face. "All right," he ventured. "As you said, you do not _need_ to know where Marinette is going. So what are you doing now?"

Adrien stared out into space, absently. "I am arguing with myself as to how much I _want_ to know that," he replied.

"Is it truly that important to you? You seemed to believe that it wasn't," asked Nooroo, trying to steer him away from that notion.

"I'm worried," said Adrien. "You saw how Marinette was just before she said goodbye, when I asked if I could help her with her errand. She has been nothing but open and honest and direct with me, ever since we reconnected... until that moment, and all of a sudden, she got all nervous and evasive. It wasn't that she doesn't need my help with it; more like, whatever it is, she doesn't want me there when she does it."

He sighed. "And there are only so many things that I can imagine that could be... at this time on a Saturday night. She's not, like, going to where she works to try to get me a job there, for instance... even though my wondering-what-to-do-next was one of the things we'd all talked about tonight. They'd certainly be closed now."

"That seems logical," Nooroo agreed, with some reluctance. "So, we ought to head to your apartment now... right? We can freshen up, you can put together another set of clothes... and I'm sure that another overnight stay might bring with it a new set of delights for-"

"It has to do with me. And it's _that way_ , _"_ Adrien gestured, pointing in the direction Marinette had gone. "And we know what else is that way."

"Ah, yes. That way," stammered Nooroo. "There is a small cafe nearby that she said that she favors. Perhaps some light shopping? The Bastille isn't far away. Luxembourg. Many, many things are that way."

" _Nooroo_ ," barked Adrien.

"Y-yes. _That_ place is also that way."

Adrien drummed his fingers on the steering wheel in an irregular rhythm. He stared out into the night, thinking hard. His car remained motionless... until it didn't.

* * *

As she entered the room, Marinette took in her surroundings. This appeared to be some sort of dining room, expensively decorated; a long table filled much of the room, with a thin figure sitting at its head at the far end of the room. No one else was visible; a subtle _click_ behind her indicated that Nathalie had locked the door behind them, which gave her a momentary worry until she steadied herself.

 _I am in control of this situation,_ Marinette reminded her nervous side. _I asked for this confrontation. My ace-in-the-hole is two words away._

Approaching the figure, Marinette suppressed something of a gasp. _My goodness!_ she thought. _That is definitely Gabriel Agreste... but he looks like he's aged fifteen years in the two it's been since last I saw him. It's as if he'd been replaced by a talking wax statue of himself._

_Well, I don't have the best track record with wax statues... but we'll see how this goes._

"Good evening, Miss Dupain-Cheng," Gabriel greeted her, calmly. "I have been informed that you have something worthy of my attention."

"We have a mutual acquaintance, Mr. Agreste," she replied. "A tiny one. Whom is not with me at the moment, but he sends his... regards to you."

"I see." Gabriel took a sip from his glass and stared Marinette down; she did not feel undressed by his eyes per se, but something more akin to being mentally strip-searched. "Would you like a glass of sherry while we speak?"

"No, thank you," she deferred. "I am not much of a drinker, and I am driving tonight." _Plus, I have no idea what you might have put in that,_ she thought to herself.

"A pity," he replied, with a small smile as he sat the glass down. "This one is an excellent year."

"Thank you, anyway," said Marinette. "I was not sure just what kind of reception I might receive here tonight."

His eyes continued to study her. "I have not yet decided upon what kind of reception you shall," Gabriel parried.

"If you are looking for a certain brooch... disguised or not... trust me, it is not here. At this moment, I do not know exactly where it is," Marinette interjected. _Technically true,_ she smiled; _Adrien might be at home, or he might not be. I still don't like lying, but I can view this as... protecting the Miraculous through needed deception and vagueness._

"And you assume that I know of what you speak?" asked Gabriel, testing the waters.

"The word 'Nooroo' comes to mind. A word that the three of us all know well," Marinette countered. "So we should bypass some of our cat-and-mouse game and come to the point."

"Hmmph! Well said, young lady," Gabriel declared, rising from his chair. "I suppose that I do not have much in the way of plausible deniability, if you and Nooroo have been conversing. So, in that case, my next question becomes..."

His voice rang with authority as he asked, "...what am I to do with you, Miss Dupain-Cheng?"

* * *

"You will listen to me, I hope," Marinette parried. "I did not come here for a fight. And as I understand it, you are no longer... equipped for a fight, so to speak. Nor is your companion."

She turned and looked Nathalie's way, who was staring silently at her with visible unease. "How is your leg doing, by the way?" Marinette asked her.

Nathalie stiffened at the question, then looked at Gabriel... who nodded.

"Much better than it was," answered Nathalie, slowly. "Most of the limp is gone, thanks to therapy. It still hurts sometimes when it rains."

"Clearly," Gabriel intoned, "you have been in contact with my... with _Adrien._ And it seems that he has told you many secrets that were best left unspoken. Only the three of us knew about that night... of Adrien's betrayal of his family."

"Some of those secrets, yes. Some of them, I learned on my own," said Marinette, stifling the urge to leap out in Adrien's defense just yet. "I am not without my own resources."

"Which tells me that you must have been one of those children who... 'protected' Paris, some years ago," declared Gabriel. "One of the classmates and friends that my son entrusted with a Miraculous. I thought that I had identified all of them... but while I do recall your face, at least faintly, you were not one of those that a certain wasp uncovered. Am I correct in this, since we seem to be bringing _everything_ out into the open?"

"You are," gulped Marinette. "You and I knew each other under different names, back in the day. And I dare say that _your_ alter ego being exposed has to have been one of your primary worries."

"It gave me pause from time to time," conceded Gabriel.

He began pacing back and forth without approaching Marinette, who tried to keep both him and Nathalie in view. "But now we come to the meat of it. You are aware that I was once the scourge of Paris, the dreaded Hawkmoth, Miss Dupain-Cheng," he said. "Obviously, if you have spoken with Nooroo, you are aware that I am no longer such, and that I no longer possess my Miraculous. And you are not wrong in your assumption; should this former secret life of mine become public knowledge, things could become complicated very swiftly."

Gabriel sat down once more and glared at Marinette, his eyes burning. "I will caution you that if this is some ghastly attempt at blackmail," he warned her, "you were a fool to confront me directly. You know much about me that I would prefer to remain in darkness... but you have opened yourself up to similar scrutiny."

* * *

"That is not what this is about, Mr. Agreste," Marinette replied, keeping her voice low and her nervousness mostly submerged.

"Very few like to _call it_ blackmail openly," sneered Gabriel. "But, clearly, you have some purpose in mind tonight, or you would not be here like this. A financial transaction of some sort? Perhaps a career opportunity? I seem to recall you as an aspiring designer of some sort."

"I know far too much about you to ever consider working for you," snapped Marinette. "I have witnessed your treatment of _family_. I can only imagine how your employees must fare."

"They have few complaints," Gabriel smiled. "We offer quite generous compensation and benefits."

"And there is a part of me," Marinette continued, "that does want to grab hold of the two of you and drag you off to the police station for all that you have done..."

Gabriel's smile vanished abruptly. "Something else that I had anticipated. When one possesses power such as I had, and does the things that must be done, at some point the bill comes due," he noted, with dark undertones. "Though, once more, I will stress that I possess many resources. I have fine lawyers on retainer... and even without my Miraculous, I can be a most dangerous enemy."

"...Though I am not sure what good hauling you in would do anyone now," said Marinette, undaunted. "Do I have direct evidence linking you to the crimes that you committed? For the most part, no. _I_ know the truth, but that's likely not enough."

" _Good,"_ muttered Gabriel, though his eyes remained wary.

"But what I _do_ have is some understanding of _why_ you did what you did. And _that_ is why I am here."

The room fell silent.

* * *

"Master... this is not a good idea," pleaded Nooroo.

Adrien was not driving dangerously or recklessly; if anything, his driving style was overly cautious. His apparent destination, however, terrified the Kwami.

"I am not... going in, if she is there," Adrien assured him. "I don't think so, anyway. Not unless there's some sign that she's in danger."

"What _danger_ could she be in?" Nooroo argued. "Neither your father nor Nathalie has a Miraculous. We know this; they are all accounted for. And with two words, she can easily defend herself if anyone tries anything."

"I suppose... that I shouldn't be too angry, if that's what's happening," muttered Adrien. "Chat Noir confronted Hawkmoth one-on-one. Why shouldn't Ladybug, even if Hawkmoth isn't Hawkmoth any more?"

"It, er... would not be Ladybug tonight."

The car lurched to a sudden stop. Adrien pulled over into a parking spot, then whirled and glared at Nooroo. "And how would you know _that?"_ he barked.

Nooroo sighed... then fluttered about nervously, sensing imminent defeat.

"I asked you if you had wandered off with Tikki during supper. You said that you hadn't. Was that because you stayed with me... or because Tikki wasn't with her?" demanded Adrien. "You know more than you're letting on, don't you?"

"If there were two things that I learned were very necessary during my captivity... it was choosing my words carefully, and weighing others' words just as carefully. I answered your question truthfully," evaded Nooroo. "You cannot tell me that I didn't."

"You are not a captive _now_ ," stressed Adrien. "Have I ever given you the slightest reason to believe that you are? That I am following in Father's footsteps!"

"Of _course not!_ " Nooroo gasped. "But you are _trying_ to drive me right to my captor's _doorstep_ right now! And I can't _handle_ that!"

"I am not going to put you in danger. I promise you that," Adrien insisted. "I just want to see."

"And then what?"

Adrien turned his eyes forward, away from Nooroo as he restarted the car.

"I'll figure that out then."

* * *

" _Do_ enlighten me, then," a frosty Gabriel challenged Marinette. "What _was_ my motivation for terrorizing Paris?"

"You could have made yourself a billionaire, many times over, with the power of the Moth," noted Marinette. "You did not. You could have robbed banks... overwhelmed armies... toppled whole _economies_. Conquered the world or destroyed it, or at least given that one heckuva try. That never seemed to be on your agenda, from what I could tell."

"Go on," he replied, his face refusing to provide her with confirmation.

"Instead, your villains _always_ seemed to have one goal in mind... seizing the Miraculous of Ladybug and Chat Noir," Marinette mused.

"If you were merely one of the... hangers-on amongst the heroes... how would you know this?" interrupted Gabriel.

"I think that all of Paris knows it. Your Akuma villains never shut up about it," smiled Marinette. "One look through the LadyBlog is enough of a reminder of that."

Gabriel snorted in response, waving his hand dismissively and mumbling something about tabloid journalism.

"Very few, however, know _why_ you wanted those specific Miraculous."

 _That_ produced a reaction from him, and from Nathalie as well, trying to remain silent in the background.

"Interesting," Gabriel declared, folding his hands in front of him and leaning forward. "They shared that information with you?"

"I know about the Wish... and why you want its power so badly. And, again, it's not for world domination or for fame and fortune."

Gabriel's eyes narrowed, daring her to continue.

"She is roughly... what, fifty, sixty meters below us as we speak?"

* * *

Nathalie gasped audibly at Marinette's statement. Gabriel's reaction was far more intense.

"If you threaten _her_ , Miss Dupain-Cheng, _I assure you_ that you will pay a _very dear price_ for doing so," he exploded. "I will spend every last Euro I possess making your life a living _hell_! You and every single person that you love. Everyone that you have ever _MET!_ I will-"

" _Stop_."

Marinette's voice rang out loudly and commandingly... and to the surprise of all three present, he did.

"That is _also_ not what this is about, Mr. Agreste," she said, in her normal tone. "I have no wish to harm Adrien's mother. If I can... and I am not sure that I can, or just how yet... I would much rather help her."

Gabriel appeared confused, rattled by her composure as much as her intent. "And how would you propose to do that?" he wondered. "And _why_? _"_

"Because healing and helping are what a Ladybug does."

* * *

The room fell deathly silent for many seconds.

"Right under my nose," Gabriel muttered. "Right under my _blasted nose_ , all that time. Close enough for Adrien to reach out and _touch_ at that school! I even had you _Akumatized_ once, for just a few seconds...!"

"Before you get too excited, Mr. Agreste," Marinette interrupted, "I want to make something very clear."

She moved her hair away from her ears on each side and turned her head, showing Gabriel and Nathalie that she was without earrings. "Just as you _used to be_ Hawkmoth... I _used to be_ Ladybug," she declared. "There really wasn't much of a reason for one to be active without other Miraculous being misused. And all of the other Miraculous are accounted for... save the one that was destroyed."

"I am telling you this," she continued, "because I want you to understand that what you were after all that time, what you sought to try to revive your wife with... is no longer a possibility. You will never get your hands on the Ladybug earrings and the Cat ring. You know what happened that terrible night... but you do not know what happened next."

Gabriel seemed suspicious, but he settled back in his chair. "Go on," he offered, somewhat weakly.

"After you sent Adrien away... the Cat's Kwami rejected him. He was _infuriated_ by what happened to the Peacock Miraculous, and that _his_ power was responsible for destroying it. He swore off ever taking another human host, and literally sealed off the ring. On or off of a host's finger, it is merely a black bauble now."

Marinette did her best to sound convincing, now that she was venturing into full-on deception. "Which eliminates the possibility of the Wish being used. With your own research, studying the book that you have and the tablet that you stole from the Guardian, you must have reached a similar conclusion."

Watching Gabriel, Marinette could see defiance and hope ebbing away from him rapidly; it was like letting the air out of a balloon. "If that is true... then, yes, I believe that my hopes for Emilie are dashed," he ventured.

"Without a Hawkmoth or a Mayura, it was time for the rest to go back into seclusion and safety, as well," Marinette stated. "Adrien returned the defunct Cat and your brooch to me, and the set of Miraculous - including the Ladybug - was returned to the masters of the Guardians. For safety's sake, even I do not know precisely where _they_ are."

"Hah," chuckled Gabriel, grimly. "The power to change the world at his fingertips, and Adrien gave it up voluntarily. How predictable."

"He did it largely for _you_ ," snapped Marinette. "To help cover for whom you were and what you had done. To keep your family name - to keep _you_ safe! Whatever else you two said to each other that night, he was sincere about that."

Gabriel pondered that in silence, looking thoughtful. "If you are being truthful," he noted, "you, _yourself_ have sent away one of the only tools that might help my Emilie. What is it that you think that you can do to help her now?"

"Well... after the Miraculous were sent away, there was one loose end for me to attend to... which was _you_. And the Masters did not leave me undefended, just in case someone like you came after me..."

She extended her arm, showing off a green bracelet with triangular carvings on it.

"Wayzz... _shell on!"_

* * *

A white flash illuminated the room.

When it faded, a young woman stood before Gabriel and Nathalie in a deep green-and-black bodysuit. Her black domino mask had a pattern on it in green and gold, reminiscent of a turtle's shell markings, and her lengthened hair flowed out behind her.

"Interesting. A Green Lantern Turtle, so to speak," a nonplussed Gabriel stated. "I had inferred that you had brought some kind of... help with you."

"That character's probably from where I stole most of the costume, yes," she replied. "Still working on a name for this. Shellgame? Terrapina? I don't know yet; I don't go out and look for adventure like this. Shell off."

She reverted back to Marinette's base form. "The thing is, though, that should someone come after me... they're in for a terrible surprise. You know how the Miraculous operate; with two words, I have super-strength, agility, and a shell that could hold off an army, or that could cut through an aircraft carrier if I was so inclined." Turning to Gabriel, she added, "You controlled Shell-Shock for a brief time... and Carapace's power, through Miraculer. You should understand the potential that was there, and why you should _not_ test me on this. You will leave me and my family alone, regardless of what else happens tonight."

Nodding, Gabriel took that in in silence. She wasn't sure if she was inspiring quite the fear that her at-least-half-a-threat needed to, but at least he didn't laugh.

"But the more important piece of the puzzle, as far as we are concerned, is _this."_

She gestured, and Wayzz fluttered out into the open, glaring at Gabriel sternly.

"My master was a good, kind and honest man. A man whose life you destroyed through greed," Wayzz accused him. "I am not at all inclined to help _you_. But I am willing to see what can be done for your wife... as _she_ has done the world no harm that I know of."

"Are you... some sort of healing Kwami?" asked Gabriel, studying Wayzz from a short distance away. "If you are whom I believe you are... the lore that I had uncovered described you as protective, not reparative."

"I spent a hundred and sixty years in the company of a man who dedicated himself to healing people's ailments, physical and spiritual. The fact that he reached an age of one hundred and eighty before we parted company should suggest that he knew what he was doing," said Wayzz, flatly. "I am better... _attuned_ to physical processes - both human and Kwami - than any other Kwami, thanks to that period of study as his companion. I cannot snap my fingers and wake your wife up... but I might ascertain whether or not any hope remains, if I may study her closely."

Gabriel looked at the silent Nathalie, then back at Marinette. "And what do you ask in return?" he asked the latter, his cockiness gone. "I assume that this is not a simple kindness on your part."

"First things first," said Marinette. "We would like to see her, please. We can negotiate terms once we know if we _can_ be of any help."

* * *

Adrien's car came to a stop once more, right behind a familiar-looking hatchback.

"You could have simply taken my word for it," Nooroo complained.

"Once you finally decided to _give_ me that word?"

"Let's not quibble about how you received it. You have it. Now, _take it_ , already. As in _take us away from here_."

Nooroo fluttered onto the dashboard and stared up at Adrien with wide eyes. "Look," he pleaded. "You know where Marinette is. You're not going in there after her to protect her. Protect her from what? No one in that house has a Miraculous but her. Your father is not the archvillain that he once was. And if she wanted you there for... whatever she's doing... or needed backup, she would have asked you."

"That's... reasonable," conceded Adrien. "But I still don't like this one bit."

"You don't have to," countered Nooroo. "You need to talk to her about what's going on - and, no, I _don't_ know all of it, as she didn't ask me to join her on this trip. You need to talk to her tonight. And since she wants privacy right now, _and_ you promised that you wouldn't drag me in there, and you're not just going to leave the brooch unguarded in your car..."

Nooroo tried to read Adrien's expression as he continued. "Might I recommend that you head home for now, get a change of clothes, settle your own nerves, and prepare yourself for the conversation you'll have later with her?" he asked. "She is not going to lie to you or hide this from you. Even if she wanted to, which wouldn't fit her personality, she can't now."

"You are making sense," Adrien sighed. "But I do want to check one thing first."

* * *

Marinette followed Gabriel's lead into the atelier, her nerves screaming out at her with every step.

"Stand here, please," directed Gabriel, gesturing towards a round platform beneath the portrait of his wife. "I promise you, this is not some sort of trap. That would do me no good now."

Marinette stepped onto the platform, reluctantly. "You'd better be right," she replied.

"Will you be needing me... down there, Sir?" asked Nathalie, a few steps away as Gabriel joined Marinette on the platform.

"No, Nathalie. We will have much to discuss later, I am certain, but this is between the two of us for now," he instructed her. "Take no action until I return."

"Yes, Sir."

"As for you," he told Marinette, "do not panic when we begin to move."

She watched as he reached out towards the painting, his fingers finding hidden buttons within it. "And where is it that we will be - _MOVING?"_

The platform lowered swiftly down into the floor as she spoke, carrying the two of them to the hidden chambers underneath the mansion.

"To visit the person whom you came to see."

* * *

Adrien glared at his phone, an impatient look on his face. "She's not responding to my message," he grumbled. "I don't like this at all."

"If you had a private audience with a person like your father," reasoned Nooroo, "would _you_ leave your phone on, or interrupt your conversation lightly? Or the two of them might be somewhere that is... well... not known for cell phone reception."

"...What do you mean by that?" glared Adrien.

"I mean... the place that Tikki and Trixx discovered last night," Nooroo wavered. "Trust me when I say that she wouldn't get any bars there."

Adrien's face froze. "You mean... she might not be talking to him about _me_ , _"_ he realized. "She might be confronting him about _his being Hawkmoth!_ About my _mother!_ "

He suppressed the urge to reach out and grab Nooroo, instead staring him down with impressive intensity. " _WHAT DO YOU KNOW?"_ he ordered him.

"What I know, Adrien... is that I have told you all that I know. I'm sorry. I knew that she intended on coming here; Wayzz did not share with me all that she planned to do inside. And I know that you need to trust me when I say that... and that you need to trust _her._ Has she ever not had your best interest in mind?"

Adrien weighed that in his head for a moment.

"No... she hasn't. And I've trusted her with my life itself, on many occasions," he allowed. "And I am not happy about not knowing about this... but I do trust you, too, Nooroo."

He gazed once more at his phone, which remained as it had been, then put the car into gear. "Let's head home, then," he declared. "Because I don't know if I'll be staying there overnight or not... but I should at least be prepared for that."

* * *

On the way down, Gabriel and Marinette stood quietly, trying not to look directly at each other for the most part.

"...Do you have any idea how _bizarre_ it feels to be doing this?" ventured Gabriel, as an icebreaker.

"A pretty good idea, yes," said Marinette, allowing herself a small smile. "This goes to the room that Nooroo told me about?"

"It does," confirmed Gabriel. "And to my... lair, I suppose you could call it, but there is nothing all that interesting that remains there." He paused, considering how and whether to ask what else was on his mind. "If you have been in contact with Nooroo..." he added, "have you..."

"...been in contact with Adrien as well? Yes, I have."

Turning to look at him, Marinette saw a mix of emotions trying to emerge on Gabriel's face. "He is well," she told him, waiting to see if she should go further.

"Good. I would not wish... otherwise."

A few dozen meters later, he blurted out, "...Was this recently?"

"Yes, it was," she explained. "Which was a great relief to me." After a deep breath, she noted, "That night... when everything fell apart... the two of you lost a great deal. But when he disappeared afterwards, it cost me my partner, and my dear friend... all at once. I know a little about what that kind of sudden void can feel like."

Gabriel studied her. "I have to ask," he prompted her. "Were you aware that they were one and the same? That my son was your partner?"

"I did not," Marinette admitted. "Not until very recently. Nor did I know that you were Hawkmoth. I suspected you once... but when you Akumatized yourself, you threw us off the track for a while."

"You had my attention on more than one occasion, yourself," said Gabriel. "Though I did not connect you with Ladybug. I never would have dreamed that the real Ladybug would've donned the costume on a music video set, in front of all those people."

"Or the real Chat Noir," added Marinette.

"Indeed," smiled Gabriel, making that connection. "I suspect that there are many strange circumstances of which we might speak someday."

"Sir," Marinette stated, "I don't want you to get the wrong idea. I am not here because I want to be your friend, so to speak. Time will tell on... a lot of things there? And, yes, we could shed light on many things for each other. But for now..."

The elevator platform came to a stop, and a door opened before them.

"...I am more interested in helping Adrien," she concluded. "And your wife. And if that can bring some closure for the two of us... so be it."

"Fair enough."

The two of them walked forward towards the machinery at the far end of the hall, where Emilie rested and waited.

* * *

Getting a good look at Emilie's capsule for the first time up close, Marinette went quiet.

"This... is the center of my universe," explained Gabriel. "She is and was and always will be. Adrien... was the other part of that, until he chose not to be."

"I don't think that's what he chose," said Marinette. "But hold that thought for a moment. Wayzz?"

The Kwami fluttered forth once more. "I am... hesitant to proceed, without your say-so," he said to Gabriel. "May I enter this capsule and examine the lady without fear of disrupting anything? I do not wish to cause her any harm. You do not need to open it or turn it off."

"You may," Gabriel replied. "I trust that you will be gentle, of course. But this machinery is as much climate-and-environment-control and monitors than anything else; it is aiding in preservation, not sustaining her in and of itself. I hope that you can identify precisely what _is_ sustaining her."

"I'll do my best."

Wayzz passed through the front of the capsule and darted back and forth across Emilie's motionless form, studying her from every angle, and reaching out to touch her gently in several places.

As the Kwami busied himself, Marinette and Gabriel exchanged glances once more.

"Mr. Agreste," said Marinette, "the shock of what happened that night was overwhelming. But I think that you know that if Adrien had any idea that the explosion would have happened... or that his mother could possibly be in its path... he would have done anything to avoid that. And from what I was told, Mayura didn't give him much of an opportunity to think about it."

"I will grant that, yes," frowned Gabriel. "Though it is still by his hand that it happened... and, from what you told me upstairs, how what might have been Emilie's last hope was lost."

"I want you to think about the emotional toll it must have taken on him. And not just his mother's state... though I am _appalled_ that he had no idea that she was here. That you never even allowed him to _visit_ her down here!"

"What was I supposed to do? To wake him up one morning and say, 'Hello, my son, your mother is in a magical coma and I am secretly Paris's greatest supervillain and would you like jam with your morning toast?'" Gabriel argued. "Let us go have breakfast in my lair, and then pay her a visit?"

"He didn't know whether she was alive or dead, whether to hang onto hope or to let her go. I can't imagine what that was like for him," Marinette accused him. "You didn't even allow him that much."

"I had hoped to resolve that problem on my own," said Gabriel. "And we see how that worked out."

"Can I ask you a serious question?" wondered Marinette. At his nod, she asked, "...If _this_ really was the key to it all... restoring what had gone wrong with the Peacock, and reviving your wife... why didn't you just _ask_ for our help in the first place?"

"For one thing, would you have given it?" shrugged Gabriel. "The Wish bears a tremendous cost, of which I am sure that you are aware. Your... mentor would not have allowed that lightly. For another... it is not as if I could have put an ad in the paper saying 'Ladybug, Chat Noir, please contact me.' My 'villainy' was meant to draw you out in the first place, and it succeeded. Had there been no Hawkmoth, there would have been no Ladybug, for she would not have been needed."

"That is... true," Marinette allowed. "But afterwards, once you knew that we were active and in Paris?"

"I was _the villain_ then," he smiled. "The one who had placed Parisians in peril. Had I reached out to you and you had simply thrown me in jail instead of listening, that would have left Adrien without a mother _or_ a father. In for a penny, in for a pound, as they say. I was arrogant enough to believe that I could simply take what I needed... particularly from children. They did turn out to be rather... _remarkable_ children, however."

Gabriel turned to face her. "My turn," he ventured. "A question for you, Miss Dupain-Cheng... why _now_? And why like this?"

"What do you mean by that?" asked Marinette, cautiously.

"I mean, simply enough," a serious-faced Gabriel continued, "that you had suspected me in the past. You carried the power of a Miraculous, and soon realized that Nathalie and I no longer did."

"I did not know all of the details until recently," Marinette replied.

"You knew enough," Gabriel retorted. "But I am not intent on picking apart your timeline of events, though I suspect that I could do so fairly easily if I made the attempt. What I mean is this... now that you _do_ know the details, you had many options. You chose to come here in this manner, here and now, and to not only confront me with my past transgressions... but also to make yourself extremely vulnerable. To confess your own starring role in our shared story, to let your greatest secret slip, when you did not have to."

He leaned down towards her, studying her, and she felt fourteen years old again. "You _did_ have to, did you not, Miss Dupain-Cheng? Not on my behalf, of course; I was not going anywhere, and neither was my wife. You owe me nothing, and in fact, have every reason to hate me. But something compelled you to act... quickly, and decisively, and quite irrevocably. I admire your commitment to this brave effort as much as I find myself wondering about its cause."

Marinette felt herself turning crimson... but she stood her ground.

"Because, Mr. Agreste... I am in love with your son," she stated. "I didn't ask for him to fall back into my life, but it happened, just the same. I needed you to trust me... and to understand what he means to me. And I am going to do everything I can to help him piece his life back together... the way that it ought to be."

 _No matter what doing that might cost me,_ she added, silently.


	15. Hello In There... To Both Of You?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette has dropped the "in love with Adrien" bomb on Gabriel... and it's hard to say if that's surprised him more than her having been Ladybug. The two of them have a chat about the prodigal son, and then Wayzz presents his own findings considering Emilie -- which are NOT what any of them had expected.
> 
> She's rather nervous on the way home, and with good reason with whom she finds there waiting for her. It's time to face the music with Adrien as to what has happened tonight... and why... and what comes next.
> 
> ...At least the cat will be sure to be happy.

Delicate, Chapter 15

* * *

Gabriel Agreste studied Marinette Dupain-Cheng in silence for quite some time. The humming of the machinery surrounding Emilie was the only audible sound for Marinette, other than the pounding of her own heart.

"So... when I noted that you had been in contact with Adrien, it seems that it was for more than an espresso and catching up on old times," he said, deliberately. "Or simply to spill my darkest secrets to his former partner. You speak of love in the present tense, Marinette."

"I do," Marinette replied, steeling herself.

"I presume that means that he has returned to Paris. I knew that he had left after our confrontation," mused Gabriel. "Is he living nearby, or just passing through?"

"I would rather let him be the one to provide a forwarding address," she answered, in a soft voice.

"Pfft," scoffed Gabriel. "I suspect that watching your own residence would produce him in short order. Not that that is my intent, however."

His expression grew somewhat conflicted as Marinette watched. "So... he sent you here to confront me, I take it?" he ventured. "Testing the waters, as it were?"

"He did not." A bit of confidence returned to her voice as she continued, "He does not... well, by _now_ , he has probably guessed that I'm here. But he did not send me, and we hadn't talked about my doing this... he probably would've tried to talk me out of it. This visit was my own idea."

"Really..."

"Really," Marinette confirmed. "I... will say this, Mr. Agreste. You and your son each had a large hole in your life when Emilie left it. After that one dramatic night... you each had two."

Gabriel's face was like carved granite, refusing to betray any inner reaction.

"It's not for me to tell you how Adrien feels about the situation; he wants to, he _needs_ to speak with you at some point. But I needed to be certain of some things, and one of them was what atmosphere he might be walking into."

"You presume that you know my own emotions about Adrien?" glared Gabriel. "That you can read me so easily, from just a simple conversation?"

"I presume nothing," said Marinette. "But I listen, and I watch. And I know how carefully that his room has been kept... as if you were waiting for him to walk back into it one day."

Gabriel absorbed that without flinching. "I always knew that I needed to install better security systems on that floor," he countered, with a hint of a smile.

"They would not have done you any good," Marinette noted. "Kwamis cannot be photographed or recorded... or stopped by walls and windows. You have my word that I have not been popping open windows and snooping around myself."

"As if I possessed any way of stopping you, if you had," he muttered.

"Mr. Agreste," declared Marinette, "if my intent was to torment you, rest assured that I have _far_ better methods than sneaking into your house and playing poltergeist."

Gabriel nodded. "That I do believe," he agreed. "Though I am still judging your own true intent, as much as you are judging mine."

"Look, let me put it this way," she sighed. "I am not going to tell you to forgive Adrien and welcome him back with open arms. I haven't told Adrien to forgive you, either... Neither one of those is a decision for me to make. I think that you'll be impressed by the young man Adrien has become... but, of course, I'm more than a little biased there! But whether you reconcile or not is completely up to the two of you."

"But with respect to _her_ ," she noted while pointing in Emilie's direction, "I feel like I _am_ involved with giving Adrien some closure. Whether that will be in the form of a reunion, or just a proper goodbye... I can't know that yet. But for either of those... that path leads through your front door. _That_ is why I am here."

"And if I can heal some of your wounds, as well as his," her soft voice added, "I would not feel bad about that."

With that, a small green blur emerged from the capsule.

* * *

Both Marinette and Gabriel caught their breath as Wayzz approached them. The look on his tiny face was one of wonder.

"I am not sure quite what I'd expected to find here," Wayzz began. "But I don't think that this was it."

 _"Well?"_ blurted Gabriel. "What _have_ you found?"

Wayzz frowned slightly at Gabriel's brusqueness, but continued nonetheless, choosing to focus on Marinette. "The woman... Emilie is her name, yes?" he clarified. "She is in a state that is extremely interesting to me! The magic has preserved her like a bug in amber; she has not degenerated physically at _all_. Time has not touched her body since what put her into this state. The autonomic motor functions are still there - you can see her breathing, very shallow breaths, if you look closely - but I am not convinced that that even _matters_ to her now."

Marinette looked puzzled at that. "She's breathing... but she doesn't _need_ to?" she wondered aloud.

"You could fill the chamber with water - though I do not recommend that you do so! - and I do not think that it would disturb her rest," marveled Wayzz. "The major metabolic processes are... _paused_ , for lack of a better metaphor. The lines that are connected to her are providing some form of nourishment, I presume..."

At Gabriel's nervous nod, Wayzz continued. "But I do not think that it is being consumed by her, or that it needs to be. Like putting gasoline into an automobile that never burns any, so its tank is always full. What sustenance she needs to continue is being provided by the magic itself. Look at her body; she has not moved voluntarily in quite some time, yet her muscles have not atrophied one bit. Most unusual."

"I had wondered about that," allowed Gabriel, his curiosity obvious. "At first, we struggled with how to manage her bodily functions... if she could not eat or drink, how could we maintain her existence? But nothing seemed to change her, no matter what we tried, and nothing was... well... expelled from her in response, either. It was if she was a mannequin, but one possessing some form of rudimentary life deep within."

"It is not harming her for you to do so," said Wayzz. "Hydrating and maintaining her as you have may not help, but it certainly cannot hurt. She is not invulnerable to harm from the outside world, of course, so it is wise of you to shelter her as you have."

"Wayzz," Marinette pointed out, "you seem more excited than you would if Mrs. Agreste was simply... frozen like this. What about her mind? Is anything going on up there?"

"That's just it!" bubbled Wayzz. "There absolutely is! In _both_ their minds."

* * *

 _That_ was a conversation-stopper.

" _Hah?_ " managed Marinette, as coherently as was possible for her.

"Mr. Agreste," Wayzz began. "What happened to her was an accident involving the Peacock Miraculous, correct?"

"Correct," a rather pale Gabriel confirmed.

"And you used the Peacock... or rather, someone else did after that. I have seen the sentimonsters that it was used to create," continued Wayzz. "Did anything unusual happen to its host? Was its Kwami erratic or unstable?"

"Also correct," said Gabriel. "Nathalie... the woman that you saw upstairs, my closest assistant... she used the Peacock to become Mayura, but her health declined rapidly with its use. So much so that, eventually, I forbade her from continuing with it." He looked Marinette's way and added as an aside, "That day that my Akuma finally locked onto you, and you nearly became Princess Justice? That is why it stopped before you could accept its power. Nathalie collapsed, and required my immediate aid."

"I'm... glad that she ended up okay," ventured Marinette. "Though I won't complain about her timing there."

"We thought that we had repaired the damage to the Miraculous, once we got our hands on your... mentor's notes," Gabriel added. "It helped for a short while, but it became clear that we had neither the tools nor the talent to fix it properly. One does not simply dial up a mystical mechanic these days... and then, thanks to Adrien, the Miraculous was gone for good."

"And what of the Kwami itself?" Wayzz persisted. "What was she like?"

"I did not interact with... Duusu, I believe her name was? directly," recalled Gabriel. "But Nathalie told me that she was very flighty and prone to wild mood swings. _Duusu_ knew that something was wrong with it, or with the Miraculous itself, and expressed worry frequently about that. But Nathalie was insistent upon helping me, and that was the means to her end."

"Then that's one mystery solved. I think that I understand what had happened here," smiled Wayzz. "When the Peacock was misused... or malfunctioned, as I don't know exactly what happened there," he continued, tactfully, "it came very close to draining every bit of energy from your wife - and her life with it. But Duusu refused to allow that to happen, and she... well... _fragmented_ herself trying to shield Emilie from the backlash. A small part of her absorbed as much as she could, and, well - 'magically crystalized around her' is probably as good of an analogy as any - and a part of Duusu is _still in there with her_."

"Are you saying that Emilie is _awake_ somewhere deep within that shell?" Gabriel gasped.

"That is precisely what I am saying. And not only is she awake... she is not alone."

* * *

"How is that... even possible?" asked Marinette, puzzling it out. "If her body's processes have stopped in place... wouldn't that also include her brain? How can she be conscious?"

"When you sleep, Marinette, you are not awake and responsive... but you can still dream," Wayzz pointed out. "Just like her involuntary muscles are still functioning, very slowly and gradually, a piece of her mind is also still active. I would imagine that she's been roaming around a fantastic dreamland this entire time, having adventures that we can't even imagine with a tiny peafowl companion by her side."

"This is astounding," muttered Gabriel, awe on his face.

"That is my best impression from what I can tell, at least," cautioned Wayzz. "Without a Kwami's direct intervention, all would have been lost... so don't run off to tell the newspapers that 'we've proven that there is life beyond what human science can measure.' I mean... there _is_? I'm living proof of that. But this is very complicated. It is not likely that we could replicate this even if we wanted to, for whatever reason."

"Can she be brought out of this state?" asked Gabriel, hungrily.

"Now, that... I do not know," replied Wayzz. "And I refuse to make any promises. I have never seen anything quite like this before... and I do not have my former Master's lifetime of knowledge to consult. And not to put too fine a point on it," he glared towards Gabriel, "but I have _you_ to thank for that."

"Ah," Gabriel replied, in a somber tone.

"Easy, Wayzz. Let me think for a moment..." Marinette soothed him. _"You_ do not know yet. Who might? What resources do we have?"

"Well," said Wayzz, "the best resource I can think of would be the Guardians' Book of Lore. It contained astounding amounts of information about the Miraculous and the Kwamis... or so I'm told; Kwamis were not allowed to read it, but Master Fu spoke of it many times. But the original was lost for more than a century, and it was hand-written, not mass-produced. Thanks to you, Marinette, we possessed it very briefly, and Master made his own photographic copy... but then both it and the notes he took regarding it were lost."

"Lost to you, perhaps," mused Gabriel. "But not to me."

* * *

Gabriel paused, then asked Wayzz, "Is there anything more to be done for Emilie today, with what we know at present?"

"There is not," Wayzz confirmed. "But I must thank you for allowing me this time with her; it was most enlightening, if not quite what we were all hoping for."

"Rather, I must thank _you._ Both of you," said Gabriel. A small smile emerged, and it appeared to Marinette to be a sincere one. "Twenty minutes with you gave me more insight about Emilie's condition than my years of plotting and scheming ever brought me. Now... let us return upstairs. I have something that I must fetch."

A short elevator ride brought them back to the atelier, at which Gabriel hesitated only slightly before revealing his hidden safe. "I suppose that you were aware of this as well, Marinette?" he noted, wryly.

"Actually... I knew that it existed, yes. Adrien told me that. That's where he had gotten his hands on the book," she replied, watching his hands turning the dial.

"Had he been more observant that day," chuckled Gabriel, "things might have gone very differently. The Peacock Miraculous was but a hand's-length away from it."

The door popped open. Gabriel reached inside and retrieved both an ancient, well-worn hardback book and an electronic tablet.

"This," he noted, "I assume you are familiar with." He extended the tablet to Marinette, who took it and was not surprised when it failed to power up.

"It'll need a charge, I'm sure," she said.

"And a password. I will write down the PIN that I had set for it momentarily," Gabriel replied. "A couple of other folders were password-protected as well, and I will provide you with those. Those contain the digital scans that your friend had made of the book and what notes he had taken on them... I presume that that will be sufficient?"

Marinette looked at Wayzz, who shook his head negatively. "I would like to examine the original, as well," Wayzz stated. "I suspect that there is more to it than meets the naked eye."

Gabriel frowned momentarily. "I am... reluctant to give this up," he parried. "It was the last gift that Emilie gave me before her accident... and despite what some might contend, she did not steal it from a Guardian. She had obtained it fair and square."

"Call it a loan for now, then?" offered Marinette. "I would like to examine it, as well. I have only ever had a few minutes at a time with it."

"Can _you_ decipher it?" wondered Gabriel. "That would surprise me greatly."

"No, I cannot," admitted Marinette. "And neither could my mentor, as you saw from what few notes he managed. But with Wayzz's help... maybe I can get something out of it that none of us have so far. I know that I can do more with it than without it, at least."

With a sigh, Gabriel offered Marinette the tome as well. "A loan, as you said," he stated. "It was safe in your hands once before... and knowing what I know of you now, I am astounded that you had returned it to me."

"It was very important for Adrien."

"It was important that it would've taken him out of your daily view, as well," Gabriel retorted.

"You were going to pull him out of public school altogether as punishment," snapped Marinette. "One of the few places where he felt at all comfortable back then. Where he could be with people his own age on his own terms. Where he could feel _normal!_ "

"Adrien pretending to be _normal_ was his own idea," said Gabriel. "Not mine. I knew better, and he should have."

"Do you _honestly_ not understand just how important that was to him?" asked Marinette, with mounting disbelief.

"...Perhaps I do not, entirely," Gabriel answered, seemingly somewhat chastened. "But that time has long since passed... and he has received the opportunity that he craved, to forge his own path, warts and all. And perhaps I ought to ask him about that directly, should I get the opportunity."

* * *

By the front door, Gabriel paused. "Where do we go from here?" he asked. "I presume that you will keep me informed as to your progress, or lack thereof."

"I will," said Marinette. "And I'll assume that neither of us will act publicly on what we have learned tonight. Our secrets are safe with each other, for now."

"It seems impossible for me to be agreeing to that... but I do. We have an accord," marveled Gabriel. "Your openness astounds me, Miss Dupain-Cheng. Were our situations reversed, I cannot possibly imagine my placing us on equivalent footing, the way that you have tonight."

"I needed some of your trust, Mr. Agreste, if we were to get anywhere. And this seemed like the best way, and maybe the only way to get your full attention," Marinette told him. "I am trying my hardest not to put you on the defensive, even with the past that we share."

"Then... I am glad of it. Because I can understand how important my son must be to _you_ ," mused Gabriel. "And if he is inspiring that kind of emotion and devotion in others... he must be doing something right."

He watched the young woman stride towards the front gate, his precious tome under one arm, her pace steady and confident.

Behind him, Nathalie approached him somewhat timidly. "Are... we okay?" she ventured. "Or should I double-check that my passport is up-to-date?"

"You can flee if you like," Gabriel declared, "though I will take it personally if you are missing-in-action tomorrow. We _do_ have a new casual-wear line shipping then."

"This is _really_ where we are at?" repeated Nathalie, not fully believing it yet. "Ladybug just walked into your home, exposed you as Hawkmoth, revealed her own identity, gave your wife a medical scan and left with your book, untouched."

"What would you propose that I should have done, Nathalie?" he asked, somewhat wearily. "I have no alibi for what Marinette knows; she has me dead-to-rights. I have no Miraculous with which to contend with hers. And with the remaining Miraculous removed from Paris, I have no remaining prospects for Emilie's revival... save the potential for this one, which she is offering me both for the sake of my disowned son... and because she seems to find it to be the right thing to do."

"Ironic, isn't it?" he smiled. "My greatest enemy, disarming me completely by simply offering me what it is that I want most, if that proves possible."

"What is our next move, then?" wondered Nathalie. "We know where her parents' bakery is. I can have someone set up surveillance there by tomorrow, and track down where Marinette herself lives without much effort..."

"Let her be."

"I'm sorry, what?" Nathalie sputtered.

"I said, _let her be_ ," directed Gabriel. "In my entire life, very rarely have I encountered someone willing to act on my behalf, to perform a most valuable service, without asking for something equally valuable in return. This girl may be one of those people. And when I do encounter one of them... I have learned not to interrupt them."

"As for what comes next..." he pondered, "I am going to my bedroom, to lie down and consider just what I may wish to say to my son. I sense that we will have much to discuss before long."

* * *

"Marinette..." said Wayzz, very gently.

"I just did that," Marinette murmured.

"Yes, you did."

"I just _did that,_ " she repeated, still coming to terms with it. "I walked into the Agreste mansion. I gave away my identity. To Hawkmoth. _Right t_ _o HAWKMOTH'S FACE!_ "

"Marinette..." Wayzz continued.

"And I think that it _worked!_ " babbled Marinette. "I talked things out with him without shaking him up too much. We know more now about Emilie than we ever have before - and so does _he!_ And _Duusu!_ I don't know what that part implies, exactly - what we can do - if we _can_ do anything -"

"We can talk about that when we get home..."

"Gabriel didn't seem _opposed_ to seeing Adrien again, did he?" Marinette worried. "I think that I read him right. He's as shaky about it as Adrien is-"

" _MARINETTE_ ," Wayzz intoned, rather loudly to get more of her attention. "Two things."

"Wh-what are they?" she asked.

"I do not agree with everything that you have done tonight," the Kwami intoned. "Master Fu would have a coronary over some of it. But... I am also inclined to trust your judgment, and Master Fu is no longer here. You will find the best path forward; I am sure of it. You have too good of a heart to choose otherwise."

"There are many aspects of this that we need to talk out, and Adrien is one of them, as I agree that he is likely well aware of where you went," Wayzz continued. "So take a deep breath, steady yourself, and consider how you will keep him as calm as you kept his father tonight."

"You're right," Marinette agreed. "And the other thing?

"That traffic light in front of you has gone from green to red and back three times now," Wayzz pointed out.

 _"Ah._ "

* * *

Marinette's hatchback pulled into her parking lot and into her numbered space, slowly and deliberately. As she expected, a familiar car was parked four spaces to her left... with a familiar person leaning against it, waiting for her patiently.

She turned off the engine and sat very still.

"So... _he_ is more fearsome right now than his father was?" wondered Wayzz.

"Of course he is," Marinette murmured. "Because if his father had rejected me, he'd just be the arrogant jerk that I thought he was all along. But if _Adrien_ does..."

"Do you really think that's going to happen?" Wayzz said, raising a tiny eyebrow.

"I don't think so _but I don't know!_ " worried Marinette. "I didn't talk about this with him first, and I know that I should have! We've talked about _why_ I decided to do it, like, the troubles that the two of them had even before their confrontation, but I never said, 'Oh, hey, I'm going to go over to your father's house tonight and accuse him of being Paris's scariest supervillain, and get in the middle of family business...'"

"You have good news that you're bringing back to him. You said it yourself... you knew that he would figure out that something was up, just from how you were acting when you left your parents' house. And, clearly, he has. So, now, you're not going to try to hide anything from him; you're going to walk over and talk it out like grown-ups. Right?" Wayzz encouraged her.

"Right," agreed Marinette. "I'm doing that... right... now."

Wayzz snuck into her purse as she left the car. "Good luck," he whispered. "I'll be right here when you need me, so that we can tell him what I found."

* * *

As she walked towards Adrien, Marinette kept her eyes locked on his. He didn't appear furious to her... more like that he was struggling with just how he wanted to respond.

"H-hi," she greeted him. "I was hoping that you'd be here."

"I needed to be," he said, simply. "Because we need to talk."

"You know where I went," Marinette replied, more as a statement than a question.

"I do."

Her pulse pounding, she stepped closer to him. "I need you to know," she wavered, "that I did not mean to... go behind your back in this. I had every intention of telling you exactly what... I'd done... and I still do..."

"I know you do," said Adrien, in a quiet tone.

She leaned towards him, and his arms opened as if by reflex, accepting her. Marinette moved in close, leaning her head on his shoulder, holding him tightly with her free hand.

"You would've stopped me," she whispered.

"Probably, yeah," he admitted. "Because you shouldn't have had to do that alone... _whatever_ you did there."

Adrien leaned back slightly, turning Marinette so that they were face-to-face. "Marinette, listen to me," he told her. "I love you... and I trust you. I do. You know that I do. Which is why this worries the hell out of me... because for you to go off on your own and confront him like this... what you went there for must've been something _big._ You didn't, like... um..."

Marinette wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. "It was just... a conversation," she clarified. "No punches thrown, no dragging anyone to jail. Though it certainly had its interesting moments."

She brought the tome up where Adrien could get a good look at it, and his eyes bugged out. "You _got that?_ " he marveled. "You found the safe?"

"He opened it for me, once he knew that... I was..."

Marinette watched Adrien's alarm grow exponentially at those words. "Please... let's go inside and talk about this," she interrupted him. "There are some very important things that you need to know... and what comes next, I can't do without you."

His arm around Marinette's shoulders, Adrien walked her to her front door, trying to keep his own legs from turning to jelly.

* * *

Adrien took a seat on the living room couch, dropping his overnight bag on the floor beside him. He watched as Marinette retreated to the bedroom and returned, putting her earrings in as she and Wayzz sat across from him and Nooroo. Audrey took the opportunity to rub up against Adrien's leg with a purr, then to knead at his bag earnestly.

"You're doubling up?" asked Adrien, watching Tikki pop into existence next to Wayzz.

"Absolutely. Tikki, you _need_ to hear what we found out! And so will the other Kwamis, but hosting two at a time is about all that my nerves can handle right now," Marinette confirmed. She looked across at Adrien and added, "We _will_ talk privately about all of this tonight. I _promise_ , for as long as it takes. But this first part is essential for everyone to know."

"And what is that?" Adrien blurted out, clearly on the edge of his seat.

Marinette gave him what she hoped was an encouraging smile. "Adrien... we got to see your mother up close. Not only is she alive... Tikki was right, she _is_ dreaming. Her mind is active... and it's _not alone_ in there."

 _"What?"_ exclaimed Tikki and Adrien, simultaneously.

* * *

True to her word, Marinette left nothing out of her recounting of her visit with Gabriel. Adrien's face when Marinette admitted to having told his father her dual identity was priceless.

"Marinette... that is _insane_ ," he boggled. "Why did you _DO THAT?_ You put yourself, your family... all of Paris in danger by telling him that!"

"Before you get too excited," Tikki interrupted, "Marinette and I went over the plan together before she did it. There is still some risk, but it sounds like she covered the bases well; Gabriel should have reason to believe that Marinette is no longer the Guardian, that she isn't keeping the Miracle Box in her home, and that the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous are no longer accessible."

"It was a calculated risk," Marinette agreed. "If I wasn't convincing enough for him, it's not that we are completely without defenses... but as far as it appeared to him, the only Miraculous still in Paris is the Turtle. And while that is powerful, too... it's not what he needs to play Hawkmoth again."

"Besides," she added, "I based it on what I know about your father. If everything that I have heard about him from you and Nooroo is correct... and what he told me and showed me tonight are also true... he has a very specific goal, and he always has ever since the accident. He should be able to see that if there is still a chance for him to reach it... if your mother has any hope... he needs to work _with us_ to do it. He can't perform the Wish on his own... because the Wish is no longer possible, or so he's been told."

"And if you can find a way to revive her," Nooroo chimed in, "...he should no longer need that, anyway."

"You are putting more faith in my father into this than I am," worried Adrien. "But what's done is done, I suppose. What comes next?"

"Lots of things... and not all of them are clear to me," admitted Marinette. "We have more concentrated knowledge about the Miraculous in this room than perhaps anywhere else in the world... anywhere that I know of, at least... but most of it is right here in this book."

She stared at the tome that she'd sat on the coffee table, then remembered something. "Oh - and this," she said, sitting Master Fu's tablet next to it. "One moment."

Quickly, Marinette dashed back to her studio room, emerging with a power brick with a cable sticking out of it. Once it was plugged into the tablet, she held her breath and pushed its Power button... and was rewarded with a bright light and the startup screens.

"Whew! I was afraid that it might've gone dead, sitting idle for so long. It's not exactly the newest model," she smiled. "And now..."

At the logon screen, she punched in the PIN that Gabriel had written down for her. "Good," she breathed, as access was granted. "There's one thing that he was honest about."

"What do you know?" replied Adrien. "He _does_ remember how."

Opening the folder containing Master Fu's scans of the Tome, Marinette asked, "Wayzz, will this help you?"

Wayzz thought for a moment. "I have seen portions of the book while in Master Fu's company," he noted. "I can read the notes that he attached to the scanned pages... but I should not read very much of the book itself. There are things written in it, like the recipes for the transformation potions, that Kwamis are not allowed to know by order of the Guardians."

"As the current Guardian, I hereby rescind those orders," grinned Marinette. "Or if other Guardians show up someday and complain, you can tell them that it's my fault and you'd told me so."

"You'll have to 'turn' the pages for me," Wayzz continued. "That's an electronic screen, and I'm not... _charged_ like a human is, is how Master Fu described it. It won't respond to my touch like it will to a human's."

"Not a problem; we can help you with that," Adrien offered. "Can you decipher the text if you _do_ look closely at it?"

"Only a little of it. Master Fu theorized that it's in multiple languages, likely in one or more ciphers as well, and there may be other secrets that we do not know about," said Wayzz, glumly. "You can see how little of it Master Fu was able to make out, and he knew the book better than anyone on this continent would. The one comfort is that when Hawkmoth captured these notes, he wouldn't have learned very much from them."

"So who else is out there, then?" wondered Marinette. "I can't exactly hop on a jet to Tibet... and even if we did, it's hard to know if there's anyone left there who could help, or would want to, or how to find them."

Adrien brightened, all at once. "I have an idea," he declared. "Because there is _one_ thing that we have that Master Fu didn't... and that I'll bet that my father never thought to use for what I'm thinking about now."

"And what is that?" asked Wayzz.

Adrien turned his head and grinned down at Nooroo. " _You_ ," he smiled.

* * *

"For what it's worth, Master..." Nooroo said, looking startled, "I cannot read the book, either. I am fluent in many human languages, but what I am looking at now is more complicated than any of them."

"You can't make yourself the size of a building, create volcanoes in the middle of a city or spread a kissing-zombie plague on your own, either," smiled Adrien. "And neither can ordinary people. But you've empowered human beings to do that."

 _"Ohhhh,_ I see what you're getting at!" Marinette beamed, catching on. "Is it possible, Nooroo?"

Nooroo blinked a few times, pondering the concept. "I... am not sure!" he marveled. "We should be able to make the attempt, at least... and if it does not work, perhaps it will give us a clue as to another approach that might come closer."

"Only if you're comfortable with this," Adrien told him. "We can do it right here in Marinette's apartment, now that the book is no longer in my father's safe."

"It's funny," Nooroo replied, softly. "The... old Master was a fiercely determined man with a finely tuned intellect... but he was so focused on his goal, capturing the Miraculous and casting the Wish, that I do not know if he ever even considered more benign uses of my power. It was always 'fly, my Akuma' and 'seize their Miraculous' and 'curse you, Ladybug and Chat Noir, I'll get you next time.' And even if he had... I might have tried to evade his requests, on general principles."

"But with you..." he continued, smiling up at Adrien. "You don't make me feel like I'm just a tool, fetched and used when needed and then tossed aside. You actually care about what I think, Adrien. That is what makes me want to try this, as much as I am able."

"You are a friend, Nooroo," Adrien smiled back. "And I mean that."

"We're not doing it tonight, though," Marinette declared. "Not without some time to think about this and a good night's rest."

"That is wise of you," Nooroo told her. "When we do attempt this, you should all know that the more powerful the creation of mine, the more strain may be felt by both the host and the target. Using the dark side of my magic taps into a far deeper well of raw power, with relative ease... but that carries its own, separate karmic debts."

"Then let's do this. Kwamis, I'll leave you to fill in the others in the Miracle Box... and I'll bet that _someone_ will be highly interested in what you found tonight, Wayzz," directed Marinette. "I'll put the Turtle bracelet back in the box, because I don't know if I can sleep running two Miraculous at once... but I'll summon you back up tomorrow, and we can all start digging for knowledge together."

"That sounds like a good plan," Tikki agreed.

"And then... you and I, Adrien?" continued Marinette, a little bit shyly. "I'd like to talk with you tonight, just the two of us. I don't want to let what happened simmer too long. Will you be staying the night?"

"I would like to. If you'll have me," said Adrien, with a gentle smile.

"If you still want to stay," fretted Marinette. "I know that I crossed a line tonight."

"A couple of lines. Some of which, if I had known what you were going to do, I _would've_ tried to stop you. As I recall, Chat Noir is supposed to be the reckless one of us... I think that I'd patented that."

With that, Adrien slowly walked behind Marinette and put his arms around her, very lightly. "But what you did... you did for _me,"_ he whispered in her ear. "To try to make my life better. And I can't just let that go, either."

"As long as you don't let go of _me_ ," Marinette sighed.

"Not now. If I can help it... not ever."

"Good."

She turned to face Adrien, looking up at him with visible relief. "Then how about you grab your bag, and we'll go get our pajamas on and stretch out?" she suggested. "Because we still have lots to talk about."

Adrien looked across the room and laughed quietly. He pointed over there; Marinette saw that Audrey was lying on top of Adrien's overnight bag, belly up, back paws twitching slightly as a faint snore was heard.

"Maybe I'll just skip the pajamas tonight," he noted.


	16. Speaking Volumes Without Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette and Adrien retreat to her bedroom for a heart-to-heart talk about Marinette's confrontation with Gabriel, what it means and what comes next. While it's not a fight, and the two of them are closer on the issues involved than either had feared... makeup sex is often the best kind, isn't it?
> 
> Meanwhile, the Kwamis are listening to Wayzz's explanation of what he found. Needless to say, Plagg is HIGHLY interested in the fallout, though he is not without some pushback. 
> 
> Nooroo and Tikki return to the apartment, where they talk about the situation and hear some interesting sounds nearby. Tikki does her best to dissuade Nooroo from investigating... but that's a lost cause at best.

Delicate, Chapter 16

* * *

Marinette and Adrien retreated to her bedroom, leaving the door open a crack in case Audrey woke up and decided to follow them. With Audrey currently claiming his overnight bag, Adrien simply stripped down to his boxers as Marinette headed to her bathroom.

A couple of minutes later, she emerged, wearing a knee-length gray nightshirt. The design on it was a mother cat and her kittens working in a kitchen, some paying attention and mimicking her actions while others wreaked mild havoc with flour nearby, with the caption "Makin' Biscuits" beneath it.

"Heh! I like that," Adrien smiled as she approached.

"Thank you," Marinette smiled, gesturing down at the nightshirt. "Mama got this for me last year. She saw it on the Internet somewhere and thought of me. For _some_ reason, I've turned into a bit of a cat person."

"I can't imagine why," he laughed.

Adrien entered the bathroom for his own evening routine. When he came out, Marinette was sitting cross-legged on her bed, patting the spot next to her with one hand. He joined her as requested, put his arm around her and joked, "I guess the honeymoon is over, huh?"

"What do you mean by that?" asked Marinette.

"I mean... here I am, the love of your life, sitting on your bed, we're both nearly naked, and you're looking more sad than anything else."

Marinette smacked his arm, lightly. "Are you _even_ in the mood right now? What are you, part goat?"

"Right now? Honestly, I'm not," Adrien clarified. "I was just teasing you."

"Well, I can't say that you don't still give me quite a thrill," Marinette replied with a smile. "If you ever don't, you'll want to check my pulse! But I do have other things on my mind right now." Her smile faded slightly as she continued, "They say, 'Never go to bed angry.' I want to make sure that we don't."

"I told you earlier, Marinette... I'm not angry with you," said Adrien, softly. "If I'm angry with anyone, it's with myself... I'm frustrated with myself, more like. I couldn't make myself just _go there_ and confront Father, and that may have cost you dearly tonight."

"All right," Marinette stated. "Let's start there."

* * *

The Kwami Village jumped to attention as Wayzz, Tikki and Nooroo emerged from the portal. "Quickly, everyone!" Wayzz called in a loud voice. "Something remarkable has happened."

A semicircle of Kwamis formed around the three of them in short order. Tikki counted heads, making sure that Plagg was among them, then motioned to Wayzz to continue.

"Ahem," said Wayzz. "On the Guardian's prompting, I have been to the chamber in which Emilie Agreste rests, and inspected her personally. This is, of course, the person first affected by the damaged Peacock Miraculous."

"Was the Miraculous damaged when she used it... or did her misuse of it cause the damage?" asked Orikku.

"That... is actually a good question, and I do not have the answer," noted Wayzz. "Either way, it left Duusu in an unsteady state and Emilie in a magical coma."

"The poor thing..." worried Barkk.

"Do you mean Duusu, or Emilie?" Daizzi asked.

"I would say both," argued Pollen.

"Yeah, yeah. And then my host blew the Peacock Miraculous to smithereens," grumbled Plagg. "So I get the credit for giving Duusu a one-way ticket back into the ethereal plane, right? Tell us something we don't know."

"Obviously, I am _about_ to," Wayzz lectured him. "Emilie's body is in stasis, as I expected. But exploring her mental state revealed something astounding! Duusu _has not_ left the physical plane entirely."

Gasps rippled through the assembled Kwamis.

"...Say _what?_ " Plagg boggled. "I can assure you, there is _nothing left_ of that Miraculous. Adrien and I made sure of that."

"Perhaps not... but there _is_ something left of that Kwami," declared Wayzz. "I could sense Duusu's presence - an _awake and conscious presence,_ though I do not know how stable it may be - as plainly as I could Emilie's."

Plagg stared back, momentarily speechless.

"How... would that even _work_?" Kaalki wondered aloud. "Without a Miraculous, how can Duusu have any physical substance at all?"

"How do we get her _OUT?_ " gasped Daizzi.

"Wait. If we do get her out... would that be at all safe for her?" Trixx pointed out. "Without a Miraculous as a focus, would she just be... out there on her own, free-floating? Or would she disappear completely?"

"I do not know, my friends," Wayzz insisted, trying to make himself heard over the hubbub. "The Guardian has recovered the Tome of Lore. She will consult it to see if any solutions may be found within."

Tikki floated over to Plagg, seeing his state of agitation. "Stay calm," she told him, softly. "Flying to that house and Cataclysming it to the ground won't solve anything."

"No, I - I wouldn't - I'm - _agggh!_ " moaned Plagg. "I'm wrapping my head around all of this. I _didn't_ banish Duusu?"

"You didn't banish Duusu. Not all of her," Tikki agreed. "We don't know how much of her is in there... or much of anything else, yet."

"Huh! That's... something, at least." Plagg mumbled.

"And you can look at it this way," added Tikki, trying to be cheerful. "If the answer _is_ in the Book of Lore, you've already played a big part in this. We wouldn't have known Gabriel Agreste had the book without you and Adrien finding it there."

Plagg frowned. "So they've got the Book now. But can they _read it?_ " he asked. "Adrien couldn't, when he had it before. Even Master Fu couldn't read all of it."

"We're... working on that," said Tikki.

* * *

"I want you to know, Adrien..." Marinette began, "that I did _not_ go over there tonight because of anything you did. Or anything you _didn't_ do, either. This was my own idea. Nothing that happened tonight was your fault."

"You can say that," Adrien countered, "but that doesn't make it true. If I had just gone straight back home when I returned to Paris, if I had found the nerve to just confront Father once and for all..."

"...That might have ended well. That might not have," said Marinette. "There's so much that you wouldn't have known when you walked through that door, that you know now."

"That's true. But your secret would be safe."

Marinette sighed, gently. "It is only unsafe if you think that your father would use it to his advantage now," she noted. "I think that I gave him several reasons not to do that, and a very good reason why working _with_ me instead of against me benefits him. None of that would've been believable if I hadn't told him what I did."

"And what if he didn't believe it?"

Adrien's face betrayed a myriad of fears. "What if you wake up some night with twenty hired guys with guns storming this place, looking for the Miracle Box?" he worried. "Or if someone sneaks in while you're at work?"

"I do have a set of tiny magical watchdogs to keep an eye on things... and Kwamis don't sleep," replied Marinette. "Well, Plagg does, but most of the others don't very often. Or Audrey will chase them off."

"Hah! More like she'd nuzzle them into submission," Adrien parried. "What if they go after your mother and father instead, using them as leverage?"

That gave Marinette pause for a moment, but she continued. "The only reason your father would do that is if he thought the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous were nearby. That's what I'm betting on, anyway," she ventured. "None of the others would help in bringing your mother back. Hawkmoth never showed much interest in the others; he'd try to defeat or Akumatize their _hosts_ , but he never made capturing those Miraculous a priority. Only ours."

"Look at it this way," argued Marinette, seeing that Adrien wasn't quite persuaded yet. "If your father had other aims back when he was Hawkmoth, he could've simply gone somewhere that _we weren't_ and let an Akuma loose. If we were in Paris and he robbed a bank in Singapore, how would we ever know about it in time, much less get there?"

"The Horse...?" said Adrien. "That could teleport us there..."

"If we heard about it, but how could we? What I'm saying is, if he'd wanted to, your father could've been a worldwide terror with the Moth _and_ collected a bunch of other Miraculous along the way, from all those times that Carapace or Rena or Queen Bee got Akumatized. Or when Miracle Queen did her thing, he could've grabbed a handful that day. But he didn't," Marinette pointed out. "I have to take him at his word that he had one goal - using the Wish to revive your mother - and that now that he has _no_ Miraculous and he thinks that the Turtle is the only one left in France..."

"I get what you're saying, Marinette. Though I still don't like it," Adrien grumbled. "But you're a hard person to beat when it comes to battles of logic."

"I'm not trying to beat you at anything, Adrien," Marinette soothed him. "I just want you to understand why I did what I did. And you say that you're not angry... but I would understand if you were. I really would."

Adrien took a moment to gather his thoughts.

* * *

"I'm not angry at you, Marinette. Not... much at all, anyway," he began, choosing his words carefully. "I know that you were worried that you'd broken my trust in you... I was more surprised than hurt when I found your car outside Father's house."

"Go on," Marinette encouraged him.

"And everything that you've said so far has made sense to me. You _did_ do this to help my mother, to help me get some closure with both of my parents. I should've seen that coming... you found me broken, and you've been trying to patch me back together ever since. That's the person that you are."

"I, um... don't know if I'd say that I found you _broken_ ," said Marinette, allowing herself a little smile. "You weren't going anywhere that night, but you were all right there waiting for me."

"Waiting for _something,"_ allowed Adrien, looking embarrassed. "And counting my lucky stars that it turned out to be you. But leaving that aside for a moment... you know how fragile I was that night, emotionally. I was feeling pretty helpless even before that blindfold went on. But then a miracle happened and you were in my life again, and you've blessed it in dozens of different ways."

"And if I'm angry at all... it's because of that," he told her. "That I have this incredible, beautiful, compassionate goddess in my life, someone that I'd give my own life to protect if I had to. And she just put herself in danger tonight trying to help _me_."

He quelled her silent protests with a raised hand. "I heard what you said. You do have the Kwamis and the Miraculous at your disposal, and Father doesn't. If something did happen, you could turn into a powerhouse with two words no matter which Miraculous you're wearing," he conceded. "And Father isn't _stupid;_ if he has only one road left to try to save Mother, and that road involves your help, I'm sure that he'll play along as long as he needs to. It's just that..."

Marinette nodded her head, solemnly. "Keep going, Adrien," she told him. "I want you to let it out."

"You... have more faith in Father than I ever will again," he managed. "For him to turn out to be the villain we were fighting all that time, hiding Mother from me, nearly killing me on more than one occasion... that betrayal runs _deep_. I don't think that I can put anything past him, ever again."

"That's what I told him while I was there," said Marinette, quietly. "That your guard is still up, and it should be. That I was not telling him to forgive you and welcome you back with open arms... and that I was not telling _you_ to do that, either. How the two of you end up from here on out is up to the two of you. I can try to help... and I did; I think I set the table for that tonight. But I do not want you thinking that I'm pushing you into trusting him again."

"Thank you for that," Adrien replied. "Because that's never going to happen."

"But... trusting him and being his son might not be the same thing."

* * *

Plagg mulled over the plan-in-progress, as described to him by Wayzz and Nooroo. To Tikki's eye, he didn't seem entirely impressed by what he heard.

"It's not that it's crazy," he grumbled. "Tikki, I can see why you'd want to help Adrien - all of you, really. He's... good at heart. He means well, for what good that is. Tikki, he was even your host for an hour or two once. But _you two_..."

They watched Plagg shake his head in disbelief. "His father _enslaved you_ and forced _your host_ \- the _GUARDIAN! -_ to mindwipe himself to protect the Miraculous. And you're going to work hard to try to give him his wife back?"

"If you think that I am doing _any_ of this for that man's benefit, you are _insane_ ," snapped Wayzz. "This is all to a purpose, and indulging Marinette's compassionate nature. She wants to help Adrien and his mother, however she can! Granting Adrien's father his desire is an unfortunate side effect."

"If any one of us should be embittered against the Mas... Mr. Agreste, it would be me," Nooroo stated. "And I have made no secret of the fact that I _am_. I never want to see his face again, if I can help it, let alone come within shouting distance of him. His callous disregard for others makes him a pestilence upon this Earth."

Plagg opened his mouth to reply, but Nooroo wasn't done yet. "And yet... even I find myself feeling inclined to help with this," he said.

He stared down the astonished Plagg. "Adrien suffered under his father's care in many ways. You _know_ how much he has been through. Does he not deserve some sort of happy ending?" Nooroo wondered. "His mother, to my knowledge, has offended no one. Does she deserve eternal slumber?"

"That sounds like your _Master_ talking," Plagg snarled.

"I have found a new Master in Adrien, one who is his father's son in that he has made some poor decisions. But he possesses something that his father has never demonstrated..."

"Which is?" Plagg asked.

"Remorse."

After a moment, Plagg relented. "I'll give him that much," he allowed. "I'll give him that."

* * *

Adrien clasped his head, as if attempting to squeeze a growing headache out of his ears.

"I am always going to be his son," he muttered. "Whether he likes it or not. And when last I saw him, he was pretty emphatic that he didn't."

"I suspect that time and loneliness have changed that for him. At least a bit," Marinette ventured, cautiously. "He asked me about you; how you were doing, if you were well. That sort of thing. A lot more, once I dropped 'oh, by the way, I'm in love with him' on him, but I left the major details out. I said that if you wanted to initiate contact, you would, and he seemed content with that for now."

"He did, huh?" mused Adrien. "Very kind of him. More kindness than I used to get from him, sometimes."

"Look. Let me at least make sure that we're on the same page here," worried Marinette. "One of the reasons that you _told me_ why you came back to Paris... was to try to reconnect with your father, one way or another. You thought about blackmailing him into giving you some of your old life back, for lack of a better way of putting it, because you felt like you had no other options. But if you _had_ a better option, you'd take it."

Adrien considered that. "That's fair," he agreed. "We'll never be what we once were. But if we can treat each other like human beings rather than bitter enemies... I would like that to happen."

"So now you and I and he all have the same goal. Reviving your mother," Marinette said. "What I did tonight... I will keep worrying about how you really feel about it for a very long time. I know I will. But it was worth the risk."

" _I'm_ not worth that risk," Adrien blurted out.

"The hell you're not," frowned Marinette.

"Marinette... you told Father that you had the Turtle Miraculous, and all the others had been sent away, right?" argued Adrien. "What happens the next time that something goes wrong in a big way in Paris, and Ladybug is needed?"

"I doubt that will happen any time soon," Marinette parried. "I've only transformed three, maybe four times in the last two years, and one of them was for _you_ that night. The other ones were for cat-stuck-in-a-tree-level emergencies. Without a Hawkmoth, Ladybug _hasn't_ been needed; Tikki stays out with me just in case, and because she's my close friend. Being the Guardian is much more of my responsibility now than being Ladybug."

"But it could happen. Say, there's a big apartment fire some night, and the news says the firefighters can't reach people. I _know_ you, Marinette; you'd be out your door in three seconds to try and save lives," Adrien continued. "And they'd be lucky to have you. But then my father sees a dark-haired, blue-eyed Ladybug on all the front pages the next morning. Won't he know that your story was made up, that the other Miraculous are still here - if the Ladybug is, why not the others, too - and he then might be tempted to come looking for them?"

Marinette froze, processing that. His father's words floated through her mind:

_"But I am not intent on picking apart your timeline of events, though I suspect that I could do so fairly easily if I made the attempt."_

"I... will cross that bridge when I get to it," she muttered, angry at herself for missing that logical leap at the time. "But it means that it's even _more_ important for what we want to do now to succeed. The surest way to get your father to renounce his old behavior is to remove the need for why he did it."

"Surest. Not _sure,"_ grumbled Adrien. "And now _everything's_ at risk because you wanted to help _me_."

 _"No,"_ Marinette insisted, with soulful eyes that shut down all resistance. "Because I _needed_ to."

* * *

Some time later, Tikki and Nooroo floated back out of the Miracle Box once the Kwamis' discussions were done, being the two Kwamis whose Miraculous were currently in use.

"I do hope that they managed to iron things out," worried Nooroo. "They each have a heart as big as all outdoors, but whenever the... old Master is involved in any way, things can get complicated fast."

"That's hard to argue with," agreed Tikki. "I mean, they did what they did for good reasons... maybe not the _best_ reasons, but good enough _..._ so, surely they'll be able to see that?"

As they emerged from Marinette's closet, they found the lights off and a stillness filling the bedroom.

"Huh! Just how long were we in there?" Tikki wondered. "By the looks of the clock... a few hours. And by the looks of this..."

She gestured downwards with a smile. "I don't think that we have too much to worry about here."

Beneath her, Adrien laid sleeping on his back, with Marinette sleeping on her side next to him. His arm draped around her and hers over his chest indicated that general accord had been reached.

"Good," beamed Nooroo. "C'mon," he said in a quiet voice, nudging his head towards the main door. "Let's let them rest."

The studio room seemed as good of a place to retreat to as any. "Do you think that the Butterfly you'll generate will do the trick?" wondered Tikki as they arrived. "To let one of them translate the book?"

"To be honest with you, I have my doubts," Nooroo replied. "Granted, the Guardians _were_ only human, and we have far greater magical resources to draw upon... but the early Guardians were among the craftiest humans I've ever met, and they were intimately aware of our capabilities. They bound us to the Miraculous only because we allowed and desired it... but bound we are, at least by degrees. I suspect that it will not be a straightforward affair."

"I was afraid that you'd say that," said Tikki. "But that makes perfect sense."

"Now that our Guardian has compromised herself... what comes next?" asked Nooroo. "When Master Fu was compromised, he ended up on the run rather quickly."

"That _was_ with a Hawkmoth in play," Tikki noted. "At present, the dangers out there are more... mundane. Not to be ignored, but less dramatic than before."

She plopped down on the desk, wearily. "Believe me, I am not thrilled about her decisions here," she lamented. "I did my best to sway her into managing the risks intelligently, even though I knew I couldn't turn her from that path entirely. It sounded like she did a good job at it, but Gabriel Agreste is no fool himself, and we will see if he dares to try anything stupid."

"And with no other Guardians out there for Marinette to report to or confer with... she remains on her own," said Nooroo. "A difficult position for one so young to be in. For anyone."

"Well... not _alone_. She has her partner back, and the sum of them is stronger than its parts," smiled Tikki. "Her faith in that young man seems endless. His faith in her is deeper still."

"And they have found some peace with each other," Nooroo agreed. "And I pray that it lasts."

* * *

About two hours later, Marinette shifted slightly in Adrien's grasp. Perhaps his leg had twitched; perhaps it was some impulse from a dream. Regardless, she snuggled in closer, and the movement was just enough to rouse the two of them from a deep sleep into more of a halfway state.

Adrien's response was to hold her just a little bit tighter, feeling her breath on his shoulder and acting instinctively. His eyes opened very slightly; he saw hers open just a crack, and a lazy smile formed on her face.

Slowly, she lifted her head up and kissed him lightly on the cheek, then on the lips as his face turned to meet hers. The kisses were no more than light brushes at first, several seconds separating each. It took several repetitions of this for their mouths to begin to cling together, lingering in an unhurried manner.

Awakeness continued to return to each of them, very slowly. Neither one of them spoke a word aloud... but their gaze told each other what they needed to know in the moment.

_I need you. I need you so much._

_I need this_.

_I need you now._

Adrien watched as Marinette reached down, her eyes never leaving his, and slid her panties down her legs and kicked them away. He wriggled out of his boxers in a similar fashion, then welcomed Marinette into his arms as she climbed on top of him, intent on more kissing, intent on far more than that.

She hesitated before escalating further, the two of them soaking in their shared intimacy. She could feel his physical readiness and felt a similar need herself, but their emotional hunger was just as strong... so she simply let their closeness continue for the time being, savoring every kiss and touch.

His arms slid underneath the nightshirt, caressing Marinette, until she could stand it no longer and yanked it off in one smooth motion. Returning to his embrace, she allowed herself to slide downwards just enough...

And still they remained unhurried. The gentlest of rocking motions from both sets of hips, the kisses that neither ever wanted to end, skin gliding against skin, the slightest creaking of the bedsprings the only recurring sound beyond their breathing.

Adrien watched Marinette's face with what little of his brain could still think clearly, watching her eyes close with pleasure, then open again to gaze at him with obvious yearning... and words from a week before came to mind.

 _When I need you... to go hard and fast... you'll know it,_ she'd told him.

And in one smooth motion, they were flipping over, Adrien planting Marinette squarely on her back while remaining fully entwined with her. She gasped quite loudly, though not unpleasantly, and soon the bedroom was filled with sounds if not with words.

And soon after... there was a stillness, once more.

* * *

As this happened, Tikki watched Nooroo's face with some amusement.

The sounds that the two of them heard were unmistakable, even through the interior wall. Nooroo was visibly restraining himself from investigating firsthand, given the lectures he'd received recently, but it was agonizing for him to hold himself back. He was like a child on Christmas night, hearing Santa Claus downstairs but forcing himself to remain upstairs until morning.

"I'm not going to tell you not to look," Tikki giggled. "You know that they'll yell at you if they catch you, though."

"I know that I shouldn't," Nooroo lamented. "But the two of them together are just so... _pure_."

"I don't know that I'd describe it quite like _that_ ," Tikki replied, wryly. "Their first time doing that _did_ involve handcuffs and a blindfold."

"Not the mechanics of it! I've seen every position and combination possible over the millennia. There's not much left to invent," Nooroo chided her. "I mean... in _spirit_. Their auras shine brightly even when they're apart. When they're together, they shine like the sun. But when they're _making love..._!"

He turned to Tikki with awe in his eyes. "It's like a newborn star forming, every time."

"And you are _literally_ a moth drawn to their flame."

Tikki closed her eyes in resignation. "I get it, I get it," she sighed, though with a smile. "I don't see auras quite the way that you do unless I concentrate very hard, but I get what you're saying. They _are_ like that. They've always been like that, but ever since they found each other again... it's off the charts."

The noises they were hearing began to fade... or, rather, they reached a crescendo from which down was the only likely direction to go.

"Give them a minute," Tikki advised him. "Then you can at least enjoy their afterglow. But do it _discreetly._ "

"That, uh... sounds like a good plan to me," smiled Nooroo.

* * *

Adrien rolled onto his side, Marinette turning with him to remain facing him, still in each other's close embrace.

The quiet that had returned remained steady for about a minute. Marinette leaned in and initiated more kissing, feather-light.

"I need you to understand this," she ventured, just above a whisper. "I took a real risk tonight. I know that I did. And if that has consequences, I will deal with them."

 _"We_ will deal with them," insisted Adrien, just as quietly.

 _"We_ will, yes," smiled Marinette. "But I need you to understand that no matter what happens next... what I don't have about it is _regrets._ "

Her eyes were locked onto his as she spoke from the heart. "Even if it means that I can never be Ladybug again... which time will tell... I'll stand by what I did. I needed to do it, to get this chain of events moving."

"I'm not worth that kind of risk-"

"You _are_ , _"_ Marinette declared. "You are worth any risk to me. You mean that much to me, Adrien. You deserve to have your life back, and I need to help that to happen."

Swallowing hard, she added, "And I need that life to be with me, as much as we can, for as long as we can. I will do what I need to do to let you have that choice to make."

"There _is_ no choice," Adrien replied. "Because being in your arms like this... this is the life I want."

He thought for a moment before continuing. "This isn't like the old days, where I could take a beating to protect you," he began.

"That was _never_ your role," Marinette frowned. "You were my partner, not my bodyguard."

"I was both. I was by your side to help you save the day, every time. But... let me get back on track here," he fumbled. "I loved every minute of it back then... even the painful ones. Because those minutes were with _you."_

"Now, I know you well enough to know that if you have your mind set on something... I can't stop you. I doubt that anything in this world could," smiled Adrien. "And you weren't wrong about why you did what you did. I know that you wanted to help me. To help my mother, too."

"Yes," she replied, simply.

"So all I'll ask of you," he intoned, "is that we work together on what comes next. You didn't go behind my back tonight; you did it on your own. There's a difference there, and I assure you, I understand that."

"Good," sighed Marinette. "That part I still feel bad about."

"Then don't put yourself in a position to feel bad next time," Adrien insisted. "I don't know what's going to happen with my mother... and if nothing can be done in the end, I'll still feel better about it knowing that she's not dead, and she's not suffering, and she's at least being... cared for. Kind of. But whatever comes next, even if you think I'd try to stop you... _especially_ if you think I'd try to stop you... talk about it with me first."

"It's not that I didn't trust you, Adrien. You _have_ to know that-"

"Trust is the least of my worries, Marinette. You have my heart; all of it," replied Adrien. "You have to know _that_. But what we do next, whatever we do to deal with my father and our past... I need to be with you. I need to be by your side. To be your partner again... without the Miraculous."

"I think that you can tell that you are," Marinette smiled, a little nervously, pressing herself up closer against him.

"I do. And you know how happy that makes me," Adrien repeated. "But we'll do the rest of this together?"

"We will."

* * *

From the concealment of Marinette's closet, looking on and observing their conversation, Nooroo had a warm feeling inside.

 _These children are surely meant to be as one,_ he mused. _After all of the heartbreak, the longing, the secret identities, the family secrets, the separation... Adrien fell right into the path of the one person who could heal his wounds and his soul. And good for him; the lad deserves some good fortune for a change._

_And if there was ever good fortune personified in the form of a person... it would be her._

He watched the two of them embrace once again, glee apparent from Marinette's voice and manner... and shortly thereafter, his eyes widened.

_Oh, my..._

* * *

It was as if a cloud had been lifted from over Marinette's bedroom; what had preceded this moment had certainly been tender and heartfelt, but the remaining tension seemed to have dissipated. They watched broad smiles forming on each other's faces, and then...

 _"Ohhh!"_ Marinette squealed, hugging him happily. "It is _so good_ to know that we're on the same page again."

"Very much agreed," Adrien grinned back. "Now I'll be able to sleep in peace again."

"Maybe you will... and maybe you won't," Marinette teased. "For a while, anyway."

Adrien saw the twinkle in her eye as her cuddling turned into more sensual movements and raised an eyebrow, though not disapprovingly. "After _that_ just now?" he marveled.

"Oh, don't get me wrong," she beamed. "That was... that was _completely amazing_ and emotional and special! I don't know if I've ever felt quite like that before... but that was, well... both of us half-asleep and on autopilot, right?"

"That sounds about right. You just started kissing me, really lightly, and I just melted into you," Adrien smiled. "I couldn't help myself."

"No complaints here," giggled Marinette. "And that's what I felt like, too... it was just so _natural_ doing that with you. I wasn't awake enough to even think about it, but it was perfect! But I'm all the way awake now... and now I want to _play_."

"Oh, you _do,_ do you?" Adrien teased back. "What are you, part goat?"

Before Marinette smothered him in kisses and then let her hands and mouth begin to wander, she emitted a brief sound:

_"Baaaaa."_

* * *

_I should not be watching this._

_At least not this intently._

Kwami eyes peeped through the closet door once more, studying young hearts and bodies feeling joyous and free with each other.

 _As if I had been somehow unconvinced of their compatibility before,_ Nooroo chuckled to himself, _Marinette certainly knows precisely what my young Master likes!_

* * *

"...You like?" murmured Marinette in a sultry tone, pausing what she was doing to enjoy Adrien's reactions and his facial expression.

" _I like_ ," breathed Adrien, as best he could in the moment. " _Don't stop..._ but..."

"But what?" Marinette teased. "Is there anything wrong with my doing... this?"

 _"NOTHING_ wrong with that whatsoever," Adrien gasped. "But... I can't reach you to return the favor. And I really want to."

"Oh?" she giggled. "I think I can fix that and still keep going."

And she did.

* * *

 _Well, would you look at that?_ marveled Nooroo. _It's almost as if they heard me thinking._

_They, uh... DIDN'T hear me, did they?_

Nooroo recoiled briefly, then reassessed the situation and relaxed again. It was clear to him that both of them were _quite_ preoccupied; he could have been playing a trombone at that moment without being detected.

 _But it remains a remarkable coincidence... or perhaps simply their true natures showing themselves,_ a satisfied Nooroo beamed. _Here I've been going on about how made for each other they are, two sides of the same coin, harmoniously balanced... and look at how balanced the two of them are now! I've seen one dominant and then the other before, but now?_

_A perfect yin/yang symbol if ever I've seen one._

A small part of Nooroo reminded himself that, having witnessed this symbol of harmony, he _could_ choose to look away now.

Like the rest of Nooroo, it went unheard.


	17. Everything's A Learning Experience If You're Paying Attention

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morning at the apartment brings with it comfort, relaxation, afterglow, and a tiny request for breakfast. When it's the humans' turn for breakfast, Marinette and Adrien walk together to a local peddler's market, full of booths and vendors on weekend mornings. They go seeking crepes; they find something else, as well. Something big.
> 
> The afternoon brings with it their first attempt at translating the Book of Lore. Marinette gets a new look, though one only for Adrien's eyes; Adrien learns what accepting a butterfly is like, and explores some mysteries of the book. But not all mysteries are unraveled easily...

Delicate, Chapter 17

* * *

Adrien stretched his arms as he woke up, feeling as if something beyond the passage of time had caused his awakening. He opened his eyes a bit; morning light had lit up the room somewhat, but it was muted by Marinette's drawn windowshade.

_Mmmmmm._

Just the thought of her name brought back memories of the night before, sending a tingle through him.

And, of course, she was right there with him. Adrien smiled down at a sleeping Marinette, lying comfortably on her side next to him. Her back was to him, pressed up against his arm, and one foot was tilted back and resting on his leg. He smiled at that; they both tossed and turned a bit in their sleep, he was sure (or at least as much side-to-side movement as her small bed would allow without someone falling out), but it was as if she wanted to maintain continuous contact, even unconsciously.

 _And, boy, did we maintain contact last night,_ he grinned. _Yeah, you ought to be tired, Marinette... that was a workout and a half for us, by the time that we were done!_

_One advantage of having a superhero girlfriend... that girl has STAMINA!_

He ran his hand from her shoulder to her hip, very gently, and heard an approving sound and felt her snuggle even closer.

"Hi," she breathed, without rolling over yet. "Good morning."

"A very good morning," Adrien declared. "You're just waking up now?"

"Mmm-hmm," Marinette replied.

"Me, too. Though I could have sworn that I felt something touch my face a minute ago, so if it wasn't you..."

_*Pat*_

A light touch on Adrien's forehead gave him his needed explanation. He tilted his head back to look upwards, and saw a small furry face staring down at him and a paw preparing to tap him again. While he had only encountered one cat in his life that could speak English, the look on Audrey's face was so clear to him that she might as well have spoken it aloud...

_Hello, hello! I love you, Mister! Breakfast now, please, also. Pleeeeease?_

* * *

Adrien retrieved his boxers, while Marinette reached down for her discarded nightshirt.

"I think that someone's hungry," Adrien noted. "Where do you keep her food?"

"Pouches or cans, the cabinet on the right above the stove," Marinette said. "Out of someone's climbing reach. One of either would do, thank you."

Adrien toddled off to the kitchen, his small companion right at his heels, and prepared Audrey's morning snack. He was just sitting the dish onto the kitchen floor when a third party joined them.

"Well, hello, Adrien," Nooroo smiled. "I trust that all is well?"

"I would say so," Adrien smiled back. "And you?"

"So far, so good. The Kwamis met last night and discussed the situation. Plagg, as you might imagine, was quite interested in Duusu's persistence," said Nooroo. "I spent a fair amount of time meditating on what we may attempt today, gathering my strength. I do hope that you got some rest after... er..."

"Just say it," sighed Adrien.

"...your exhilarating evening," Nooroo continued. He paused, then added, "I only _heard_ much of it. You seem to be rather talented at inspiring vocal feedback from her, Adrien."

Adrien was silent for a moment, wondering how much he ought to disclose. "She's... told me that that's kind of unusual for her to be that noisy," he whispered. "And that I should take it as a compliment."

"I certainly would," the Kwami grinned.

"You heard much of it, hmmm?" asked Adrien. "Did you watch the rest of it?"

"I... uh... well, the _third_ time... ah... I would like us to focus on other things right now," stammered Nooroo.

"I bet you would," Adrien told him, quietly. "I'm not ashamed of what you saw and heard at all, just so you know. But Marinette might feel very differently about being watched, and I won't speak for her there. If this is becoming a habit, you need to discuss it with her before it happens again."

"I know," Nooroo agreed, meekly.

"I'm _serious_ about that," insisted Adrien.

 _"ANYWAY..._ This ritual may take a lot out of both of us," Nooroo sidestepped. "When do you want to try it?"

"I was thinking this afternoon sometime..." Adrien ventured, distracted by the sound of approaching footsteps. Marinette appeared from the hallway, gave Audrey an approving pat while she wolfed her breakfast down, and kissed him on the cheek.

"Hi," she breathed, happily. "Talking about butterflying?"

"Something like that, yes." Adrien gave Nooroo a meaningful glance before continuing. "Nooroo's worried about the strain of it."

"Then maybe we shouldn't do this on an empty stomach," Marinette noted. "If you're up for it, I was thinking that you and I could take a walk and get some breakfast this morning... there's a little peddler's market on Sundays that I visit sometimes, a couple of blocks down from here. Vendors, prepared food carts and trucks; there's one that I know that does very good crepes. We can pick up something sweet for Tikki and fruity for Nooroo while we're there, too."

"That sounds delightful," beamed Adrien. "When do you want to go?"

"Well, we got our showers late last night... I can get dressed pretty quickly if you can," she replied. "Now that you can actually get to your clothes again."

"Uh-huh... maybe I'd better go grab my bag before it becomes _somebody's_ overnight bed again," Adrien grinned, reaching down and scratching Audrey behind her ears.

* * *

About twenty minutes later, the happy couple approached the outdoor market on foot. If people who saw Adrien recognized him, they showed no obvious signs of it, or at least kept a respectful distance as they shopped.

"Do you come here often?" asked Adrien, as he watched Marinette consider some bins of vegetables and ponder what she had room for in her kitchen.

"Once in a while," Marinette replied, staring at an onion intently. "Maybe once a month? More often in the warmer months. Who comes here and what they bring varies by the seasons, so it depends if I'm in the mood for what's ripe now or not. There are some regular stops for me... like, this farm's is one of them."

"Indeed it is," smiled the vendor as Marinette extended payment her way for a small bundle of things. "Always nice to see you, dear. Come back soon!"

"And then there are the booths carrying things that aren't edible," Adrien pointed out. "Like, I've seen three so far selling sunglasses and handmade jewelry and things like that."

"Uh-huh," agreed Marinette, gesturing in several directions. "There's a little of everything. That guy over there has smoked meats of all kinds. Lots of baked goods. There are a couple of cheesemongers, some touristy stuff, though the jewelry-makers are usually really nice and I buy from them sometimes. Even though I have the most unique set of jewelry around at home," she grinned.

"And none of _those_ are going up for sale any time soon," Adrien quipped.

"Probably not... unless I can't make rent some month, and then someone new gets to be a hero," Marinette giggled back.

"I'm picturing Mr. Ramier showing up. 'Do you have one of those in the shape of a pigeon?' he'd ask," laughed Adrien.

They walked a little further down, exchanging more small talk. Marinette added a mango, some bananas and a citron to her basket - "We'll see which of these Nooroo likes best," she told Adrien - and a bag of cookies for Tikki, among other things.

"Is there anything in particular you'd like to look for, while we're here?" asked Marinette.

"Nothing that I can think of... though I'll keep... looking," he replied, losing his train of thought.

"Oooh!" she exclaimed, suddenly. "Look at the scarves that lady has out today... want to take a look with me?"

"No, I... um... you go ahead, Marinette. I'll... be over... shortly."

She walked over to the booth that she'd pointed out, not realizing that Adrien's attention was diverted in the moment. Had she noticed, she'd have seen that Adrien had spotted a very familiar face... which was staring right back at him.

* * *

Exiting the booth in which she'd been shopping, a satisfied Marinette admired the two scarves that she'd just obtained.

 _These are really nice,_ she noted, _and I can see that she put some time into making them. The weave on them, the use of color... the darker one gives me ideas for something I could make for Mama for Christmas. Not a bad price, either! Especially since I talked her into selling me both..._

_of them..._

_for..._

One glance across the marketplace was enough to send Marinette's legs into motion, even as her brain screamed at her to play this out intelligently. Adrien was no longer touching the ground, lifted up and wrapped up by two muscular arms, whose owner's shape was unmistakable even at that distance.

 _YOU CAN'T JUST TRANSFORM HERE!_ her mind insisted, even as her legs pumped her forward. _Not in front of everybody!_

Her analytical mindset kicked in immediately. Glancing left and right, she considered her options; there weren't many promising ones for privacy. Too many open spaces, too many people nearby, her sudden burst of speed had drawn some of their attention...

_Gabriel - told him? Sent him? Didn't expect a move from them this soon!_

_Best chance - another twenty meters - break right, through that opening, behind that building - find a place to stash my bags - something big to hide behind. If I can transform, he can't get away from me. No one can._

_He wouldn't hurt Adrien - would he? No reason to - no good reason - they used to be pretty close - is this a kidnap attempt?_

She watched the big man's head turn her way, and their eyes met. Noting this, she forced herself to downshift from a frantic sprint into a more casual jogging speed.

_He's seen me - though if he's here for Adrien, he KNOWS who I am - doesn't change anything - he knows I know he's here..._

_Play it cool, Marinette. He's staying still. Maybe Adrien isn't in danger..._

* * *

Adrien heard Marinette's voice from behind him as the Gorilla lowered him back to the ground. He turned around and saw Marinette standing there, watching them like a hawk, catching her breath slightly. Her face didn't look terribly alarmed... but her eyes told him another story, as they searched his face for clues as to how to handle this.

"Hey," he greeted her with a smile. "I was just about to join you over there, when I ran into... were you running just now?"

"I, er... didn't want to lose you... in the crowd," Marinette evaded. "And then I saw you... you two... over here..."

"You remember my friend here, right?" Adrien asked her, his voice and manner calm, reassuring her that this was not an emergency. "He was my family's bodyguard and driver in the old days. You're still there with them, right?"

The Gorilla nodded his assent as Marinette sized him up. _He looks quite happy, actually,_ she reasoned, reading his expression and body language. _They used to be close, they haven't seen each other in a couple of years... that was a welcoming bearhug, I'll bet, not anything hostile!_

_Thank goodness. Though I'm still VERY curious about this._

"I don't know if you remember me, Sir, but I do remember you from my school days," Marinette ventured. "I'm Marinette Dupain-Cheng... Adrien was a classmate of mine at Francoise Dupont."

With a small smile, the Gorilla mimed a hat on his head, then a feather sticking out from it.

"Yes! I _did_ make a derby hat that Adrien wore on the runway one time," Marinette smiled back. "You have a good memory."

The Gorilla pointed to Marinette, then moved his hand in a rapid chattering motion by Adrien's mouth.

"Oh, he used to talk about me quite a bit?" she grinned. "I wish I'd known that then."

"And I still do," Adrien confirmed. "Marinette and I have become... very close lately. You caught us spending a lazy morning out together."

A small thumbs-up from the Gorilla indicated his approval. From what Marinette could tell from his subsequent motions, he was offering to excuse himself and let them get on with their shopping.

"Adrien, I, um... want to take a peek at something over there for a minute. Maybe you two have some things to discuss - catching up on old times, _finding out_ what brings him out this way...?"

"You read my mind," Adrien replied, his smile remaining but his tone indicating that he'd caught her undercurrent. "I'll catch up with you in a few minutes, okay?"

"Perfect." She squeezed his arm affectionately, then turned to the Gorilla. "It was nice seeing you again, Mr... er... Sir."

He executed a small bow in response.

As she left, trusting that Adrien knew what he was doing, the Gorilla turned back to Adrien. With a gesture, he indicated Adrien and Marinette and asked if they were a couple now.

"Most definitely," Adrien answered.

That got him a pat on the back from his burly friend, and a facial expression from him that could only be read one way...

_Finally!_

* * *

About ten minutes later - an agony for Marinette, not seeing or hearing what was going on between Adrien and the Gorilla, but a self-inflicted one - Adrien caught up with her, by himself once more.

"Is everything all right?" Marinette asked, immediately.

"It is. I think it is," Adrien answered. "No, that wasn't a total coincidence... but I don't think that it was what you were worried about, either."

"Tell me about it, then. Please," she requested.

"Father sent him out here... for a few reasons. Obviously, they didn't _know_ we were going to be here as well; I don't think that we knew ourselves until this morning," Adrien began. "But after your confrontation last night... Father did have Nathalie make some inquiries about you, reasoning that where you were, I wouldn't be far behind."

"He'd hinted as much. At least they came looking for me and not my parents, and I'm not terribly hard to find if someone puts their mind to it, I suppose," Marinette reasoned.

"So... no, the Gorilla wasn't sent here to kick your door in," Adrien clarified. "More so something of a scouting mission - getting the lay of the neighborhood, I guess. If signs of one of us turned up, that would be a bonus, but he wasn't camping out in your parking lot, either. It caught him by surprise as much as it did me when we saw each other."

"And I came running as fast as I could, because at first I thought that he'd grabbed you," sighed Marinette, relaxing somewhat. "It wasn't until I got close that I realized it was a hug, not him carrying you off."

"Yeah. That was kind of the other thing... he and I _did_ get along well back then, and we hadn't seen each other in a long time... so he volunteered to come out looking today, hoping that he would see that I was here, that things were all right with me. It's not that Father didn't believe you last night..." Adrien trailed off.

"...But he didn't get to be _Gabriel Agreste_ by not following up on things and being sure," Marinette finished for him.

"Something like that. And a few baked goods and things for the house would make the trip worthwhile, even if he didn't see us."

"Do you believe him?"

Adrien pondered that for a moment.

"I don't mean to imply that he's untrustworthy, Adrien," Marinette clarified. "You know him far better than I do. But even he told you that his being here wasn't a coincidence. Do you think that he was telling the truth about why he came?"

"...I do," Adrien replied. "Through all the things that Father did, I never got the impression that _he_ was an active part of it. He was Akumatized more than once, and not willingly like Nathalie was. At least that I know of. All that he ever wanted to do was keep us safe... and me in particular."

He looked back at Marinette with visible concern. "But I _do_ think we should try what we've been planning sooner rather than later. Just in case, you know?" he told her. "Because I don't want you feeling like you're always looking over your shoulder."

"Agreed. The vendor with the crepes that I'd mentioned isn't far away," she answered. "Let's get them in takeout boxes and bring them home with us."

As they walked, Adrien asked, 'Does Audrey eat crepes?"

"If they're left unguarded for more than two seconds, yes."

* * *

A couple of hours later, a small gathering began in Marinette's living room. The Book of Lore sat motionless on her coffee table next to Marinette's laptop, with Marinette and Adrien on the couch in front of it, and three Kwamis fluttering overhead.

"So how should we do this?" wondered Marinette. "Nooroo, what is your suggestion?"

"Hmmm," Nooroo pondered. "We suspect that the Book is written primarily in some form of Chinese, with which both of you have at least some familiarity... but it may be in a dialect not spoken aloud in a thousand years. It may be ciphered, it may be in multiple languages, it may have many other tricks up its sleeve."

"One of you will empower the other, naturally," added Wayzz. "I would suggest that the other wear one Miraculous so that Tikki or myself can monitor the process, but not transform with it. Nooroo should provide all the power that is needed... or that would be safe to use."

"How about this?" suggested Tikki. "Adrien, you and Nooroo are better attuned to each other. Let Marinette use Nooroo to transform you, and Wayzz can keep watch. Wayzz... should I go back in the box?"

"Let's try it with you out here first," Wayzz countered. "You and Marinette are so well-attuned that it should be a minimal draw on her."

"Will it make a difference, do you think?" Marinette asked him. She removed her earrings but did not renounce them, gently sitting them on the coffee table instead so that Tikki could remain.

"One way to find out," shrugged Wayzz.

"All right... here's the brooch," Adrien declared, handing it across the table to Marinette as she slid the Turtle off her wrist and passed it to him. "And I'll bet that you never anticipated being _Nooro_ _o's_ host, hmmm?"

"It does feel a little strange, yeah," she smiled. She reacted slightly as the transfer was made, feeling the second Miraculous align with her energies at once, but waved it off. "Good strange, not bad strange, though."

Nooroo nodded at that. "Tikki and Wayzz and I are all reasonably compatible; you shouldn't feel much of a strain from maintaining just two, especially with your experience," he noted. "There are certain other combinations that I would not recommend. The Ladybug and the Tiger together, for instance..."

Tikki grimaced. "Don't even go there," she warned Nooroo. "Not right now."

Once the Miraculous had all been distributed accordingly, Nooroo gave Marinette an encouraging look. "This is your show now, Mistress," he declared. "Whenever you are ready."

"I'm not your... mistress?" Marinette wondered aloud, then stared at Adrien as he broke out into laughter.

" _That_ sounds familiar," he cackled. "I've been telling him 'don't call me Master' since day one."

"It's force of habit," Nooroo apologized. "And it helps me focus."

"Just call me Marinette. Though I suppose that I should think of another name as soon as I say this... Nooroo, _give me wings!"_

* * *

Adrien looked on with admiration as the white flash faded.

Marinette's clothes had transformed into a bodysuit, a gradient ranging from a deep purple by her neck and left shoulder to a muted silver by her right boot. A lacy mask stretched across her face, with a similar gradient but with purple-to-silver going right-to-left rather than left-to-right. In lieu of Hawkmoth's walking stick, her hand held a slender rod, closer to a wand in appearance. A simple black belt crossed her waist. Her hair remained dark, but rippled gently as though it carried a faint charge of some kind, or that an invisible Adrien was running gentle fingers through it.

"...Stunning," Adrien noted in a quiet voice.

"Thank you," she smiled. "I don't really have a name for this getup... what should I call myself?"

"Mine, I hope," Adrien teased her.

"Pfft," scoffed Marinette. "You already knew that. What's a kind of purple butterfly?"

"I don't really know," Adrien wondered. "I'm not up on my winged insects... I think there's one called a purple emperor, but I don't know if there's an empress."

"Or maybe I'll pass on the whole insect imagery altogether. Maybe something like... _Esprit du léger._ Or _Fée de la lumière."_

"The spirit of light? Fairy of the light?" translated Adrien. "Perhaps just _Lu_ _mière_ for short."

"That makes me feel like a talking candelabra," she giggled, "but I can work with it. No one but you will ever see me like this, anyway. I just feel... okay, I know that Ladybug is powered by magic. I can feel it when I'm powered up. But this is a different _kind_ of magic... lighter, more ethereal. I feel like I should be floating! And after all of the darkness Hawkmoth brought to Paris... light is what I want to give to the world."

"It suits you, so much," beamed Adrien. "Okay. Now, do you need to catch a butterfly to use for this, or something?"

"It doesn't feel like it... my butterfly is more of a form for magic, a shaped capsule that contains it, than a transformed living thing. I don't know how Hawkmoth did it, but this is my way."

Lumière closed her eyes briefly, concentrating, bringing her hands together... and when she opened them, a tiny white butterfly rested in them, its wings fluttering slightly.

"Hello there, little butterfly," she smiled. "After saying bye-bye to so many of you, it feels good to finally meet you properly."

She looked across at Adrien. "Are you ready?" she asked.

"Let's do this," he replied, and the butterfly took off.

* * *

As it made contact, Adrien felt a very odd sensation - but not an unpleasant one by his standards.

It was as if Lumière was not just speaking to him in his mind, but was actually _inside_ his mind. He felt her presence all around him, embracing him warmly, speaking softly to him as clearly as if she was sitting across from him... which she _was_ , smiling right there in front of him! He could hear Marinette's real voice and Lumière's slightly-reverberating voice simultaneously, causing something of a mild echo effect that was a little bit disorienting at first.

"Are you all right?" she asked, pleasantly. "You do have control of yourself?"

"Oh, yes. It's... just... so _intimate!_ " Adrien marveled. "Like you're a physical part of me right now. You're not just in my head, you're _part of me_. And I haven't even transformed yet!"

"I'll have to remember that! It sounds like that could have some very interesting implications," winked Lumière. "But we have more important things to do right now."

She took a deep breath and continued. " _Unraveler_... yours will be the gift of parting the mysteries of languages, old and new alike. You will be able to read any written text, crack any cipher, and translate anything before your eyes into the language of your choice. You can either type the results out on my laptop, or if your full concentration is needed, read it aloud and I'll do the typing. Are you willing to accept my power and to translate the Book of Lore?"

"I am," he declared. "Please, give me your power."

A white flash engulfed him...

* * *

Lumière examined her creation carefully. In Adrien's place was a figure clad in a brown robe, strange symbols woven into its design, and a hood covering most of his face and shadowing the rest. His eyes glowed bright and green from within.

"Well? How do I look?" he asked.

"Like some ancient hooded sage," said Lumière. "An interesting choice."

"Did I choose this?" wondered Unraveler. "I think that this was more out of your head, not mine."

"You know, I'm not sure?" Lumière replied. "Like, if the transformed design was something that the Moth bestowed, not their own choice, wouldn't you think that a fashion mogul like your father would've made more aesthetically pleasing villains?"

"Don't you think that your fashion model boyfriend would, too?"

"Touche," she grinned. "Again, you're still in control, Adrien? It's not like Hawkmoth's possessions, where there's... like, a hybrid personality running things?"

"I still feel like me," Unraveler confirmed. "And I still feel _you_ , though maybe a little bit more in the background now. We'll see if I remember everything when I transform back, but I don't feel like there's a reason that I wouldn't."

"Good. That's how I want this to go - as little interference in there from me as possible," smiled Lumière. "Wayzz? Tikki? Does everything look good to you?"

"So far, yes. This is how Nooroo's power was always meant to be used," Wayzz declared.

"Same here," said Tikki. "If you both feel good, go ahead."

"All right," Lumière replied. "Let's do a warmup exercise and make sure that it works."

She pulled the laptop in her direction, typed a few things, then slid it over to Unraveler. "I just used Google Translate to turn two sentences into Greek. You don't speak or read Greek, right?" she asked.

Unraveler shook his head. "It's all Greek to me," he quipped. "I have no experience with that."

"Yeah... that's Adrien in there," smirked Lumière, wincing at the joke. "Now, take a look at what I typed," she gestured, "and tell me what it says."

He stared at the screen intently, then looked at Lumière with his body language showing uncertainty. "...The fish has hairy legs? My hovercraft is full of eels?" he asked, hesitantly. That can't be right."

"Actually... it is," beamed Lumière. "I put in two nonsense sentences that no one would ever guess, just to be sure that you _weren't_ guessing them."

Unraveler turned and stared at Tikki. "My girlfriend's mind works in mysterious ways," he declared.

"Tell me about it," Tikki agreed, getting a small raspberry in return from Lumière.

"Okay, then... time for the main event. See what you can make of the Book of Lore, please."

* * *

Lumière held her breath slightly as Unraveler opened the book and began to peruse its contents. The glow in his eyes increased slightly as he turned the pages.

"This is... interesting," he breathed. "These introductory pages are ones that I've seen before, years ago... that day in the library with Lila..."

"I remember that," said Lumière. "And then I grabbed the book after Lila threw it in the trash."

"She did _what?"_ asked Unraveler, then shook his head. "Not now, not now. Concentrating. Okay... this page shows one of the ancient Ladybugs... um... Piao Chong was her name, according to this?"

" _Yes!_ " Lumière beamed. "That's the name that Master Fu had told me. So you _can_ read it?"

"...Haltingly," Unraveler said. "It's most definitely in code, and it's taking a lot of effort to work it out, even with your magic." He flipped a couple of pages, admiring the ancient heroes and rattling off what text he could decipher. "Wow, look - there's that Eagle Miraculous that turned up in New York City!" He paused, considering that. "But if that wasn't from _our_ Miracle Box... what's it doing in this book?"

"That's a good question," agreed Lumière. "Perhaps there was more than one set of Guardians, and they shared information? Or maybe the Miraculous all originated from a common source, and were distributed all over the world later on."

Unraveler flipped forward through the book. "Okay, the historical section is interesting, but it's not helping us other than to know that it can be read. This thing really needs a Table of Contents... ah, here we go. Oh, wow!"

"What is it?" asked Wayzz, trying not to get too close, but curious nonetheless.

"Whatever this is... there's text here that I can read, like... phonetically? But I don't understand what it's saying. The _meaning_ of it is obscured," Unraveler replied. "Like, it's meant to be just the way it is, but it's not something I can convert to words."

"Aha! Those are likely spells and incantations related to the Miraculous. If they are, you're right; they're _not_ words. They're glyphs of power. Do not attempt to speak them aloud! Pronouncing them incorrectly could have very unpredictable effects..."

Tikki backed Wayzz up, insisting, "And many of those simply aren't for Kwami ears to hear."

"Then how will I know if I'm getting them right, if you two shouldn't hear or read them?" wondered Unraveler.

"I did release you from that order never to look in the book..." Lumière reminded Tikki.

"There are orders and then there are _fundamentals_ ," Tikki apologized. "I don't know what some of those incantations would do to _us_ , let alone to _you_ or the world around you. The incantation for the Wish may be in there somewhere, too, and even if you're not wearing them now, the Ladybug and the Cat are under the same roof..."

"And... we may have larger concerns," interrupted Wayzz.

Their heads all turned towards Unraveler, whose eyes were glowing brighter and brighter with every page turned. He appeared to be mouthing syllables nearly silently, with his breathing becoming ragged and irregular...

"I don't like this," Lumière gasped.

"I don't, either!" Wayzz agreed, in a loud voice. "Break contact!"

Lumière closed her eyes and concentrated... then opened them again with a panicked expression on her face. "How do I do that? It's not working!"

As Unraveler's voice increased in volume, Wayzz flew to his side. "Help her!" he barked at Tikki, then focused his attention on Unraveler, mumbling something quietly into his hood.

"Be calm, Marinette," Tikki instructed her. "Don't panic; you can do this. Focus on the power itself; draw it back into you slowly, like drawing it with a syringe, rather than trying to yank it away from him. Think of the young man beneath the costume. Bring him back to you."

A few tense moments later...

* * *

Adrien opened his eyes to a worried Marinette holding him and three Kwamis buzzing around him.

"Whoa," he mumbled. "Was I out cold?"

"Only for a few seconds," Nooroo told him. "How are you feeling now? What do you remember?"

"I... uh... I'm just a little shaken up, I think," reasoned Adrien. "I remember accepting the power from Marinette. I was reading the book, we went over the pages full of historical Miraculous hosts..."

"So you _do_ recall what happened while transformed. That's a good omen," said Wayzz, to which Nooroo nodded.

"If my power isn't corrupted into Akumas, that is how it should function," he agreed.

"And then I got to some _weird_ pages... you said that they were glyphs of power and I shouldn't read them aloud, Wayzz... and then things went a little hazy, and I woke up just now."

"Was it some kind of booby-trap?" wondered Marinette. "This _is_ magic we're talking about. Something where it's protected so that only certain people can read it?"

"Not... likely anything that complicated," Tikki considered. "I think it's more that the incantations themselves can be complicated. If you read one incorrectly, or if you read only part of one, you might be invoking forces that you don't know how to put back down. There's a difference between translating the book and understanding how to _use_ all of it."

"Yeah," Adrien agreed. "It's like, I can read the owner's manual for my car and know how to start and drive it, maybe change the oil in it, but if something goes wrong I need a _mechanic_ to fix it."

"Hmmph," a disappointed Marinette sighed. "I don't think I have any ancient Chinese wizards in my Contacts list."

"Don't lose heart, Marinette," Wayzz told her. "From the start, this wasn't very likely to be a 'turn to page 47 and push a button heal Adrien's mother' kind of procedure. We all know more about the Book now than we did twenty minutes ago."

"And almost fried Adrien in the process!" she countered.

 _"Fried_ is a strong word," cautioned Nooroo. "You have our guidance, which should be a comforting advantage. _We_ are still learning about its contents as well, for obvious reasons..."

"So this will be small steps forward, small steps back," Wayzz agreed. "For now, I think that Adrien needs some rest and tender loving care."

"All right, mister. Come with me," Marinette declared, helping Adrien to his feet. "You're not leaving my bed for a while."

"I _bet_ he won't," a small voice snickered.

Marinette whirled around. " _Tikki!_ " she replied, in mock indignation. "You heard Wayzz! This man needs _rest,_ not _that._ "

Despite his slightly weakened state, Adrien grinned at Marinette. "Let me get a little rest," he told her, "and maybe I _will_ need some more of that, too."

As the two of them headed down the hall to Marinette's bedroom, Nooroo noted, "That _can_ be a very spiritual and renewing experience. ...I'm just saying."


	18. Do You Take This Butterfly?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's debriefing time in Marinette's bedroom... but Adrien wears boxers, not briefs, so it's not _that_. Our Heroes and the Kwamis compare notes on what just happened, what they've learned and what should happen next in their Book-translation efforts.
> 
> Adrien gets some rest while the Kwamis check in with the others, including Plagg; Marinette considers one option, and reaches out by phone for advice. Once everyone is reunited, Marinette tests a theory with Nooroo that has very promising results, then again with Adrien's help. Both of their subconscious minds are hard at work, however, resulting in a quite unexpected moment.
> 
> With them closer to translating the Book but still falling short, they consider what the next-best option should be. And Nooroo has an idea...

Delicate, Chapter 18

* * *

The mood was somewhat subdued in Marinette's bedroom, but not fully somber.

"I'm fine, seriously," Adrien insisted, wearily. "I'm a little tired, that's all. Most of the shock of... whatever just happened... happened to my transformed form, and those are pretty durable. I don't want to get up and go for a jog, or anything, but..."

"I believe you, Adrien," Marinette told him, measuring his words against his physical appearance. "But... Wayzz, please make doubly sure of that."

The Kwami fluttered around Adrien, examining him in many ways, even darting inside his abdomen for a moment. When he emerged and gave Marinette a tiny thumbs-up, she continued.

"All right, that's a relief," she sighed. "Nooroo... all three of you, actually... what went wrong there? You warned us to expect the unexpected; well, that sure qualified."

"I was reading aloud from the Book, translating it on the fly... and then I couldn't _stop_ reading from it," said Adrien. "Like something strong was pulling me into doing it."

"Something was," mused Wayzz. "The Guardians were not the sort to set up _lethal_ booby-traps, necessarily... they were sworn to protect life, not end it... but that doesn't mean that they welcomed outside intrusions. Tikki, the glyphs that Adrien had been vocalizing just now. They sounded to me like..."

"...Teleportation magic?" ventured Tikki.

" _Yes!_ I was just going to suggest that," Nooroo chimed in. "Forked teleportation. At least two nodes. Monodimensional, thank goodness."

Two humans stared back at him, blankly.

"What I mean by that is... have either of you ever seen the Great Pyramid of Giza?" asked Nooroo.

"Only in books," Marinette answered.

"You might've been about to see it in person - from its very top," Nooroo explained. "What was about to happen was that the book was going somewhere, probably back to Tibet, perhaps another designated safehouse... and everyone in this room would be going somewhere else. Not necessarily all to the same place, either."

"By 'monodimensional,' he means that you'd probably have both remained on _Earth_ ," Tikki added. "And not, let's say, an alternate reality where everyone there is a talking unicorn, or a plane of cottage cheese."

"We get the picture," gulped Adrien. "That's a bullet dodged."

"Yes! Thank you so much for helping us break out of that," declared Marinette. "So, that's a lesson learned. Was it that he was reading the magic aloud that triggered it?"

"...Maybe?" shrugged Wayzz. "But I wouldn't want to take that chance again lightly."

"So, what's our next step?" wondered Tikki.

"That's a good question," Marinette pondered. "Kwamis... anything that I've ever known about magic, you've taught me, obviously. Is there anything else that _you_ could tell about what Adrien was reading?"

Wayzz shook his head, as did Tikki... but Nooroo appeared deep in thought. "It was a spell, but the syntax of it was... kind of unusual," he noted. "I thought that part of it was just general unfamiliarity with what he was reading, perhaps mispronunciation... but our 'Unraveler' actually did pretty well in that respect. More that the phrases themselves seemed choppy and abrupt... as if they were poorly constructed."

"...Which makes no sense," Wayzz argued. "The Guardians knew precisely what they were doing. Why would they embed a trap spell that was sloppy or incomplete?"

"...Unless it wasn't?"

* * *

All eyes turned to Tikki.

"What if... what was on the page could be interpreted in different ways?" she suggested. "Like how in English, 'The bear eats shoots and leaves' and 'The bear eats, shoots, and leaves' have very different meanings. What Adrien read aloud could've been correct as he read it... but not in the _way_ that he read it."

"Or misordered, perhaps. 'Marinette kissed Adrien' and 'Adrien kissed Marinette' have the same words to them, but mean different things when read front-to-back or back-to-front," mused Wayzz. "I do not mean to suggest that what was being read loud were _words_ , so to speak... only to put it in terms that the two of you would understand more easily."

"I think I get it," Adrien acknowledged. "So there's a lot more to this than simply translating A-to-B."

"Regrettably so, yes," Nooroo agreed. "And what you actually need from the book may not be a 'spell' at all, necessarily... it might just be information. But you need to avoid triggering something that you shouldn't before you find it, and figure out how to extract that information safely."

"Without any kind of instructions on how to interpret it," said Adrien, glumly. "This thing really needs an Appendix and a Table of Contents."

Marinette's face lit up with inspiration. "It might already have them, out of plain sight... if we knew how and where to look," she exclaimed.

"...But we don't?" parried Adrien.

"Not yet, we don't. But I have an idea."

Marinette turned to Nooroo. "You can give someone some of your power, giving them a temporary transformation, _without_ your host transforming or using a butterfly, right?" she asked, brightly. "Like how Plagg can use Cataclysm independently, just by willing it."

"That is... yes, I can do that," Nooroo replied. "I would prefer to do it as a normal transformation with a host, but it is possible..."

"Humor me?" Marinette asked him. "I don't need much of your power, and I won't need it for long... but I want to test a theory that I just thought of."

"...Is this safe?" Adrien interjected. "Nooroo, she's not going to start looking at the book and get shuffled off to Saturn, will she?"

"I'll have three Kwamis here to watch over me, since Nooroo will still be independent. I'll stick to the early sections of the book with the heroes' biographies. And I'll have _you_ here as my anchor," Marinette replied, taking his hand in hers. "I promise that I'll be careful."

He looked at Wayzz, who shrugged; Tikki gave him a knowing look, as if saying, _Have YOU ever been able to talk her out of something that she really wants to do?_

"Very well," Nooroo said. "You have a particular powerset in mind?"

"I do."

"Then... here we go, with a light dose."

Nooroo touched the top of Marinette's head, very lightly... and a white flash filled the room.

* * *

When vision returned to Adrien, Marinette's appearance had changed somewhat. Her clothes were simple by costumed-hero standards; unassuming and practical, as if a peasant girl from the Middle Ages had somehow taken Marinette's place. A silver mask covered her face, her blue eyes peering through it... but possessing a sparkle that even Adrien had never seen in them before.

She glanced Adrien's way, warmly, obviously meaning him no harm... but, regardless, he shivered. He felt as if her eyes could see straight through him; if she'd rattled off his earliest memory, his blood type and what he'd dreamed about last night in rapid succession, he wouldn't have been totally surprised.

"Whoa," he declared. "What do you call this one?"

"Adrien," Marinette laughed, "you look like you're scared of me!"

"Not _scared,"_ said Adrien. "More like wondering if there's anything that you _can't_ see with those eyes."

"I was literally hitching a ride inside your brain an hour ago, and you didn't seem to complain then," she parried. "Anyway... I don't even have a name for this. I just pictured, I don't know, something like a little witch girl from old folk tales... someone from a village who appears pretty normal but has a touch of The Sight for the unusual, and helps people with it."

"It is a cute look," Adrien approved.

"It's only temporary, but thank you," smiled Marinette. "I think that it mostly came from a storybook Papa read me when I was little... I don't remember what it was called. Now... Kwamis, keep an eye on me for a moment. I'm going to look over the Book."

"We're watching," Tikki assured her. "Be careful."

Marinette paged through the first section of the book, examining the pictures of the heroes of yore. She studied the Chat Noir page and exclaimed "Ooooh!", suddenly.

"See anything you like?" Adrien grinned.

"I do indeed," Marinette grinned back. "Adrien, turn your phone on flashlight mode for me?"

"Those eyes don't have flashlight mode?" teased Adrien as he did so.

"No, they don't," she declared. "But they _do_ have a few other tricks." Holding the book page up to the light, she pointed to the bottom of it. "Check that out!" she exclaimed, proudly.

"Well, I'll be," an astonished Wayzz replied. "It's a watermark of some sort!"

"They _had_ watermarks in ancient China?" wondered Nooroo. "I thought those were more contemporary... and European of origin."

"I don't know if it's the same kind of watermarking that we use now, or something that the ancient Guardians came up with... but there it is. It looks like some kind of Chinese characters," Marinette pointed out. "Adrien, can you read them? I don't think that I can."

Adrien peered at them, as did the Kwamis. "I... can't," he admitted. "It's definitely not the modern Chinese script. I think that I've seen something like this once, but not enough to be able to try to translate it."

"Still, that's something that we didn't know about!" beamed Marinette. "Maybe I can pick out which pages have these, and one of us can go back later as Unraveler and see what they say? There might be some _serious_ secrets hidden like this!"

"Definitely!" Adrien agreed. "I'm game for that later."

A few pages further in, Marinette saw something else and stared intently at it. "There's something here... but it's not the same kind of mark, I think," she muttered; waving Adrien's lit-up phone behind the page confirmed that, as nothing new appeared.

"So, we're stuck?" Tikki asked.

"I didn't say _that._ Hmmm..."

* * *

Marinette spent the next couple of minutes studying the hidden mark from several angles, then came to a decision. "I'm going to try something... very, very lightly. Kwamis... don't freak out," she said, moving towards her dresser.

"Those are never comforting words to hear," Nooroo retorted, "because they always mean that there is some _reason to._ "

When Marinette returned with a spray bottle, Tikki approached her with a worried expression on her face. "Marinette... may I remind you that this book is unique and _thousands of years old?"_ Tikki stressed.

"I know, I know! I'm not going to soak it, or even spray it directly. I just want to try something on the tiniest little spot," Marinette comforted her. "I will be careful, I promise. This is just water."

She aimed the bottle at an extended forefinger, then sprayed it lightly, coating her fingertip with misty moisture. Tentatively, she reached out slowly towards the page... then jumped back, surprised.

"What happened?" Tikki gasped.

"Look!"

The group examined the spot... which was now showing a different pair of Chinese script characters, dark lines standing out against the faded page.

"I didn't even touch it," Marinette exclaimed. "I just got close to it and it's like... it sucked the moisture away. Like it was hungry for it!"

"Paper is naturally hydrophilic... absorbent, in other words... unless it's specially treated to be otherwise. But whatever they did there made the characters react differently from the area around them," remarked Wayzz. "How fascinating!"

* * *

Over the next minute or so, the wet spot on the page dried rapidly, returning to an unmarked and plain state.

"All right... that's enough for now. It's kind of exhausting doing this," said Marinette. She closed her eyes, concentrating, then returned to her normal self with a slight popping sound.

"Are you okay, Marinette?" worried Adrien, watching her catch her breath.

"Yeah, I am," she assured him. "The transformation was fine; it just takes an awful lot of focus to figure out what's hidden there, and how. Even with Nooroo's help, I'm a little surprised that it worked!"

"As am I," Nooroo agreed. "With just a fraction of the power that I can bestow, you discovered secrets that might not have been seen by anyone for a thousand years."

"I'm not," Tikki countered, looking at Marinette with a proud smile. "It's sort of like how you work out what to do with Lucky Charms! Like I've told you, that's not in the powers... that's in _you_ , Marinette."

"And I have a hunch as to what happened to Adrien earlier. Could what he read have been _part_ of a spell, with the missing glyphs being hidden like those characters that I just found?" asked Marinette, eagerly.

"It's possible," Wayzz conceded. "It's very possible. Or perhaps there might be hidden instructions on the page... 'Skip the next line for your own good,' or 'Alternate between right-to-left and left-to-right,' or 'Read only the glyphs that glow when touched by a fermented tea leaf under a full moon.' It could be straightforward or amazingly complicated," he warned her. "Remember what it was like figuring out the transformation potions with Master Fu?"

"Uh-huh," she agreed. "Secrets kept in a shell, tears of joy, that sort of thing. There's no guarantee that we can even obtain what we might need for some of these. And since I can't read them once I find them, anyway..."

"...and Adrien can likely read them as Unraveler, but it might be dangerous for him to do so unless he knows precisely what to do _first_ ," Nooroo added.

"...we'd need both of us to be powered up and to work together, but your transformations are meant to be one at a time," Marinette concluded. "Let me think about this."

Adrien scooted himself upwards a bit, going from lying down to sitting down, despite Marinette's glare at him as he did so. "Marinette, if you need a full dose... Nooroo, if you'd prefer to have a host for this... I can totally do that. I'm _serious_ ," he insisted. "I'm tired, but _that_ side of it isn't that strenuous, is it? I've transformed with Nooroo a couple of times."

Marinette guided him back down onto the pillow. _"You_ and I are going to take a nap first," she smiled. "I'm not doing this without being well-rested, and that goes double for you."

* * *

While the humans recharged their batteries, the Kwamis flew back into the Miracle Box for the moment.

"Do any of you happen to consider yourselves... how should I put this... linguists in human tongues?" asked Wayzz, once the crowd had regathered around them. "Specifically in ancient Chinese dialects?"

The response was mostly head-shaking and blank expressions. Nooroo looked towards Longg, hopefully.

"I might recognize some of it if I heard it aloud," Longg replied, "but it has been _centuries!_ And the humans had so many different variations... You know how it works, Nooroo, surely? We gain enough of a rapport with our hosts to communicate, but not instant expertise in all things human."

"No, that's fair, that's fair," Nooroo allowed. "It was more wishful thinking than anything else."

"A separate question, then," Tikki ventured. "Have any of you ever read through the Guardians' Book of Lore?"

That resulted in silence.

"That was not meant as any kind of 'gotcha,' or accusing anyone of sneaking a peek. I am _hoping_ that someone here was around when the Book was being written," she clarified. "Or has knowledge of how things were hidden within it."

"Hah!" laughed a gruff voice, as Plagg floated towards her. _"You're_ looking to break one of the oldest rules, Tikki? Adrien's been a bad influence on you."

"As a matter of fact," Tikki glared back, "it should interest all of you to know that the Guardian has _relaxed_ the rule about us never looking in the book, because she needs help deciphering parts of it. So if any of you have ever been curious about its contents, now's the time to ask to come out and see."

After brief conversation within the group, most of the Kwamis wandered off to what they had been doing previously. Plagg remained behind, looking curious.

"You've never looked in the book, right, Plagg?" Tikki asked him. "I mean, you were very close to it, and you knew where it was."

"I have not," Plagg insisted. "It only came out the one time, when I popped the safe open for Adrien. I wasn't about to cause any problems for him by having the safe fly open on its own. Wayzz, _you_ had a copy of it with Master Fu, right?"

"I did," Wayzz agreed. "But Master Fu was very conscientious about the rules regarding it, and I obeyed him always."

"Of course you did," Plagg replied, rolling his eyes slightly in amusement. He returned to a serious tone quickly, though. "Do you _really_ think there's something in there that you can use?"

"We have to hope so," Nooroo sighed. "There is certainly power within it; a spell nearly teleported us all to parts unknown when Adrien deciphered part of it."

Plagg stared back, startled. " _Adrien_ cast a magic spell from the book?" he gasped.

"Only in part, and it backfired pretty badly. It took both of us to help Marinette help break him free of it, before-"

Plagg cut Tikki off, abruptly. "Backfired? Is he _all right?"_ he worried, in a loud voice.

"Yes, he is... more surprised than hurt," Wayzz replied. "Marinette is cuddling him back to full strength as we speak. I am glad to see that you still share our concern."

Plagg stared downwards, searching for the right words. "He's not my favorite person in the world any more," he said, finally. "That doesn't mean that I'd wish any harm on him."

"I suspect that there _may_ be useful lore there," Wayzz continued. "If we can find it, and translate it safely. We discovered a couple of secrets today, via Marinette's sharp eyes and Nooroo's power; we will try that again tonight, I think. I want to learn everything that I can about the Miraculous, and about Duusu... because her fate is likely the central piece of all of this."

"Well... good luck with that, then," said Plagg. "And if... uh..."

"If we think that you can help us, we'll let you know," Tikki replied. "C'mon, guys... let's check on them."

As the trio flew back towards the portal, Nooroo noted, "Tikki... you didn't tell him _how_ we might need his help."

"I don't want her to. Not yet," Wayzz cautioned him. "That barrier that I told you that I sensed within Emilie's spirit, the one that Duusu had generated instinctively? We may well need Plagg's help to get through it."

"You can do that math, right, Nooroo?" asked Tikki, dryly.

Nooroo thought for a moment; his eyes went huge when the realization struck him.

"He was inconsolable when he thought that his _host_ had banished Duusu," mused Wayzz. "Right now, I do not know what breaking that barrier would do to what is left of Duusu, or where she would go once it is breached. Do you want to be the one to tell him that he might have to _personally_ Cataclysm what's left of Duusu to free Emilie's soul?"

"No," Nooroo stated, flatly. "No, I don't think that I do."

* * *

Marinette lay by a sleeping Adrien, watching over him.

 _He really doesn't seem that badly shaken up,_ she considered. _I can trust him not to put himself in danger... well, mostly... and we will have the Kwamis watching over us._

Looking down at his lightly napping form, Marinette smiled. _He'd set himself on fire to protect me, if he had to,_ she thought to herself. _He always would. But it's just as important for me to protect HIM._

_Now, I still want to try the full version of what we just did... Adrien as Nooroo's host, powering me up all the way to search for secrets... because that will help us figure out our next step. But I can't translate them on my own. How am I going to get Nooroo to have_ _TWO butterflies out at once?_

_I might need what's in the book to figure out how to manage that, and I need to manage that to know what else is in the book. That figures._

_...Wait,_ she realized. _Hawkmoth solved that problem multiple times, didn't he?_

Leaning even closer to Adrien, she noted that he was just awake enough to respond happily to her cuddle.

"Mmmmm," he murmured.

"Are you awake?" asked Marinette.

"Mmm-hmmm," Adrien responded.

"Could I borrow your phone for just a minute?"

* * *

In his private office, Gabriel Agreste glared menacingly at a stack of planning documents on his desk. Paper products were one of the few things in his life that seemed mostly unaffected by a withering gaze or a sneering dismissal.

 _We are not far off of where we should be on these,_ he considered. _Jacques did a good job on the preliminary negotiations; I must remember to compliment him on that. But I feel as if we could still make some headway towards an even more favorable timeline -_

Abruptly, his phone buzzed, indicating an incoming text message from someone not on his Contacts list.

"Hmmm?" he grunted, surprised by that. It was hardly an unprecedented event, to be sure, but his staff had been trained long ago not to bother him on weekends unless it regarded something of exceptional importance.

 _Likely some fool spamming numbers at random, looking for suckers to send him money for his 'fantastic new product,'_ Gabriel thought as he called up the message. _No matter how many laws get passed about such abuse, they will always find a way to..._

The message that he read, however, was neither random nor selling anything.

**Mr. Agreste, this is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Do you have a moment?**

* * *

"Do you think that he'll respond?" Marinette asked.

"Oh, I'm sure of it," smiled Adrien. "I can't imagine that he wouldn't drop everything, after the way that you parachuted into his life yesterday."

About a minute later, she got her response:

 **[Gabriel Agreste]** Good afternoon to you. May I inquire as to how you obtained this phone number?

 **[Marinette]** Remember who I once was. I have eyes everywhere; no one in Paris can hide from me.

 **[Gabriel Agreste]** I see.

 **[Marinette]** Also, I asked Adrien for it.

Adrien chuckled, "I can hear him muttering 'Impudent little _scamp!_ ' from here."

 **[Gabriel Agreste]** I should have expected that. Do tell him "hello" for me, would you?

 **[Marinette]** I will. Also, tell your bodyguard that we enjoyed seeing him again today. I always liked him.

 **[Gabriel Agreste]** Touché, I suppose. Going forward, I shall respect your privacy, as you shall respect mine. What is it that you want?

 **[Gabriel Agreste]** Have you had any success in your translation efforts?

 **[Marinette]** A tiny bit, yes. But it has led me to a question that only you have experience with.

 **[Marinette]** When things turned scarlet, and you went from single to multiple... how did you manage that?

There was no response at first.

 **[Marinette]** This is not some attempt at entrapment; I already know more than enough, if that was what I had in mind.

 **[Marinette]** And I am choosing my words carefully to protect both of us.

 **[Gabriel Agreste]** I do appreciate that.

 **[Gabriel Agreste]** You cannot ask a certain mutual friend that question?

Marinette frowned at that. "I don't think that 'friend' is how Nooroo thinks of him," she remarked to Adrien.

 **[Marinette]** He is not with me at the moment... and I cannot just snap my fingers and summon him.

 **[Marinette]** And even if I could... he is not a tool for me to simply use as needed.

 **[Gabriel Agreste]** Rebuke received, young lady.

 **[Marinette]** Not my intent, but if you feel that it's deserved...

 **[Marinette]** Anyway, my question?

 **[Gabriel Agreste]** A willing partner. Surely, you can deduce whom that was.

 **[Gabriel Agreste]** Who was granted the power to increase my own power, temporarily.

 **[Gabriel Agreste]** I must warn you that it proved to be quite strenuous on both of us, and somewhat scattershot.

 **[Gabriel Agreste]** I did not have the fine control over its effects and targets that I did on other occasions.

 **[Marinette]** I'm sure it that was strenuous. It gave us quite a workout, too.

 **[Gabriel Agreste]** Heh. Well stated.

 **[Gabriel Agreste]** Does that give you the answer you required?

 **[Marinette]** I think it does. Thank you.

 **[Gabriel Agreste]** Is my son there with you now?

Marinette turned to Adrien, who paused, then shook his head negatively. "Not... quite yet," he whispered. "Not like this."

 **[Marinette]** He's sleeping. Our first attempt took a lot out of him.

 **[Marinette]** He is as serious about... fixing things... as I am.

 **[Gabriel Agreste]** I would expect no less. Tell him...

 **[Gabriel Agreste]** Tell him that I am thinking of him, after he wakes up.

 **[Marinette]** Will do.

* * *

Adrien considered the words that he saw on Marinette's phone.

"That is... something," he declared, finally. "Quite a bit more human than I expected from him."

"Yes, it is," she agreed.

"Here's a question," Adrien continued. "Couldn't you have just asked Nooroo how he'd done it?"

"I could've," conceded Marinette. "But I don't like to remind Nooroo of those years more than I have to. I know that he's sensitive about that... even though none of it was his fault."

"Very kind of you."

"Also," Marinette smiled, "I wanted to rattle your father's chains, just a little bit. He's sending people to keep an eye on us, is he? I can return the favor, any time I like. Not that I intend to... but he doesn't have to know that just yet."

That got a laugh out of Adrien. "Yeah... that would get his attention," he agreed. "If he _did_ have any ulterior motives for our visitor today, that'll give him something to think about."

As the Kwamis reentered the room, Marinette said, "We can talk about that later. I really don't want to get caught up in playing old games with him, you know? But if he serves, I'll volley."

They turned their attention to the trio floating in front of them. "All clear?" asked Adrien.

"So far, so good, I suppose," Tikki replied. "Nothing new to report. We checked with the others, and none of them think they can be of much translation help."

"Then we're back to Plan B," Adrien declared. "Which I'm fine with... any time."

"You're sure?" asked Marinette.

"If you are," he smiled. "I got my nap, I know what you want to become... if you and Nooroo are ready, I am, too."

They looked to the Kwamis for confirmation. Nooroo nodded, approvingly.

"All right... if we're going to do this, let's do this right," Marinette declared.

She hurried around the room, gathering a few things before leading everyone back to the Book in her living room. "Adrien... once I'm transformed, take notes in this notebook," she told him. "Write down what pages have hidden things on them, and how we get them to appear, and a rough description of what they look like. Don't try to draw them, though... or am I being too paranoid?"

"Cautious, not paranoid," Wayzz replied. "Writing out one of those glyphs _shouldn't_ trigger anything... but as we're finding, the Guardians were quite tricky."

"In that case, Adrien... hit me with your best shot," giggled Marinette, closing her eyes.

"You asked for it," Adrien winked. "Nooroo... spread my wings!"

* * *

When Marinette opened her eyes, she cooed in delight.

Adrien's transformed self was mostly dressed in black, his golden hair standing out strongly against the dark outfit. A black cape with dark grey lining billowed out behind him, giving the impression of thick and powerful wings. The domino mask was black with bright green eyes, reminiscent of Chat Noir's. He held a short, jeweled cane in his right hand, similar to his father's.

As Marinette watched him, he drew his cape in front of his face, like something out of an old vampire movie, then lowered it with a wink, showing her a devilish grin.

 _"Papillon Noir,_ at your service," he declared.

"We have got to work on your names," she laughed. "'Black Cat' and 'Black Butterfly?'"

"Says the girl who called her ladybug persona 'Ladybug,'" he parried. "And couldn't think of a name for her last transformation."

"Nyahh," replied Marinette, sticking her tongue out playfully.

Having settled that, Papillon Noir held his cane aloft. He traced a small pattern in the air, roughly in the shape of a butterfly, and a white butterfly sprang into existence before him.

"Now, to find someone nearby who is simply _loaded_ with positive energy," he intoned. He closed his eyes and pretended to concentrate hard. "I... believe that I have found my target."

"Ham it up," Marinette grinned.

With a silent grin of his own, he twirled his cane and gestured towards her. The butterfly floated to her outstretched hand, very slowly, and the room filled with radiant light.

* * *

When everyone's vision was restored, Tikki and Wayzz stared at Marinette with wide eyes...

Her outfit was pure white, a form-fitting base layer surrounded by wisps of ethereal lace, chiffon and dreams. As with her turn as Lumière, there was a distinct magical feel to her new self; a mild disdain for gravity, making it appear that both she and her gown acknowledged the ground but did not feel particularly attached to it. A lacy headpiece adorned the top of Marinette's head, pulled back so that her face was fully visible. A silver mask similar to her last one crossed her face, with a similar effect over her eyes, but perhaps a slightly less intense blue there than in her last transformation.

She was clearly feeling Adrien's mind joined to her own, as he had earlier that day, and was still accommodating herself to that rush of sensation... but she looked very happy for the most part.

" _Veilpiercer,_ " Papillon Noir intoned, "yours will be the power to dispel any obstacle, clear all disguises and part all clouds, and see the full truth of the world around you. Nothing will... _huh?"_

He looked at her, who was looking at Tikki, whose jaw had fallen down in astonishment.

"Tikki... what's wrong?" asked Veilpiercer, appearing confused.

Tikki flew over and whispered in Veilpiercer's ear... and in a flash, her face turned nearly as scarlet as Tikki was naturally, turning back to Papillon Noir with obvious nervousness.

"I... I don't know quite what to say," she murmured, just above a whisper. "Give me a second?"

"M...Marinette?" Papillon Noir gasped. "What's going on? If you were going to be 'a little witch girl,' I wanted you to look the part. The most beautiful, radiant white witch there ever was... right?"

"You just transformed your lady-love into wearing a flowing white gown... with a veil that's pulled back," a still-startled Tikki managed. "While you're in a tuxedo. Even if it looks like it might be straight out of some anime series."

"I did not see this coming. Not quite yet," Wayzz marveled.

"Do you think that either of us is qualified?" Tikki asked him. "You know... sufficiently mystically ordained to preside over this? You might be closer to that."

 _"OH_ , my gosh," Papillon Noir exclaimed, putting it together. "You thought that I was asking her to... to... right here, right _now?"_

"Adrien?" asked Veilpiercer, in a suddenly-shy voice. "Which of us designed my outfit? You or me?"

"I'm... not entirely sure now," he replied, just as softly. "I mean... I'm drawing inspiration from your unconscious mind, right? And my own. This might be a little..."

"...fast?" she agreed. "Yeah. _Very_ fast! I mean... you _are_ wonderful... and we do seem to be kind of meant for each other..."

"We are... I know we are..." breathed Papillon Noir. "But if I was going to propose... someday... I would do it in the most romantic place I know, somewhere that's special to both of us. I know exactly where it would happen."

He fell silent, letting that sink in as Marinette felt her heart pounding hard. _He's... imagined it!_ her mind gasped. _Even just a little bit, he's at least given it some thought!_

 _"_ Maybe... we should focus on what we're meant to be doing right now," Veilpiercer ventured, carefully. "You know... the Book."

"Y-yeah, we should," he replied, grateful for the graceful easing of the moment's tension. "Veilpiercer... do you accept my gift of power?"

"I do," she said, unhesitatingly. "I mean... I _would._ I am. I think I do! _I did!_ "

It was Adrien's turn to imitate Tikki's coloration.

* * *

The next hour was far less dramatic than Lumière's and Unraveler's session... or at least less dangerous. The group identified and avoided most of the pages bearing the glyphs that Unraveler had encountered, which was both good and bad; Veilpiercer didn't get much of a chance to scrutinize them, but no one took a one-way trip to Madagascar or got turned into a newt, either.

"Wings down," Papillon Noir intoned, returning to Adrien's form just as Marinette did the same with hers.

"Wow," Marinette gasped, halfway between mild exhaustion and laughter. "What an experience!"

"I've never felt anything quite like that," Adrien agreed. "And some of those triggers for secrets that you found! I have _no idea_ how you figured them out!"

The group checked Adrien's notes for a final tally. Veilpiercer had identified thirty-one pages with something hidden on them, of which seventeen were brought out and viewable (if not immediately understandable). Two of them _were_ readable within their rudimentary knowledge of modern Chinese; one was a joke of sorts (a note reading "If you can read this, report to Master Zhong for punishment"), and the other appeared to be a recipe for some sort of fish stew.

"Well, we learned that the Guardians had a sense of humor, at least," Adrien remarked about the latter.

"And a crafty one, too! I was wondering why cloves were an ingredient, until clove oil turned out to be what would bring out the writing on Page 63!" Marinette laughed.

"It's a set of steps forward, but small ones," Tikki noted. "We know _where_ many secrets are, but we still can't read most of them without translation powers. And a couple of them wouldn't come out until you were _actively_ using your power on them, Marinette... so, for those, we'll need _both_ of you at once to stand a chance. One to project revealing energy and one to read what appeared."

"We're not in a great rush, necessarily," Wayzz pointed out. "We could try again with Lumière and Unraveler another night, picking out the low-hanging secrets and seeing what clues that they can bring us. I have a feeling that the deepest secrets, the ones that might help Duusu and Emilie, might be among the hardest to obtain... but we might get lucky."

"I did get some small insight as to how dual transformations might work," said Marinette. She explained her conversation with Gabriel to the Kwamis... tactfully, for Nooroo's emotional sake.

"He did not lie to you," Nooroo confirmed. "He turned Nathalie into Catalyst, who then empowered him to be Scarlet Moth. But the process was rather draining for both of them, and explicitly tapped into the dark side of my power, among other complications. I would not encourage either of you to attempt that in that way."

Adrien's face lit up. "Nooroo... that's not the only time that you had multiple targets, right?" he asked. "Like the Sapotis... they turned out to be two twins, transformed together. Or Oblivio, which was Alya and Nino merged somehow."

"With the dark side, those things are more possible," replied Nooroo. "Or at least more easily possible. The increased intimacy of my normal powers would make multiples inherently more difficult to manage. Those transformed would have to be _remarkably_ attuned to each other; I don't... think that..."

He trailed off, slowly.

"What is it, Nooroo?" asked Marinette.

"I... I may have a method in mind that could work. That _would_ work. But I don't think that you're going to like it much."

"Tell us, please," Marinette asked him. "I would do just about anything to get us to where we can help Duusu and Adrien's mother."

"Ah, then, um..." Nooroo stammered. "Marinette, could we speak in private for a moment?"

* * *

"Oh, boy."

Tikki and Wayzz turned to Adrien as he watched Marinette and Nooroo step into her kitchen.

"Do you know something about what he's referring to?" asked Wayzz, looking puzzled. "And if you do, _how_ do you know it?"

"I'm pretty sure that I have an idea," sighed Adrien. "This isn't exactly how I'd wanted them to talk about it, if I'm right."

Tikki's face lit up as she burst out giggling. "He _wouldn't_ ," she gasped.

"He would," said Adrien, flatly.

"Yeah. He would," Tikki agreed. Turning to Wayzz, she grinned, "Think about it. It'll come to you."

Wayzz did precisely that... until it dawned on him. With a somewhat glazed expression, he remarked, "...It really _could_ work. He's not crazy."

"We'll see if she agrees with that," smiled Tikki.


	19. Mix Well, Stir, And Detonate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Love -- and a little nervousness -- are on everyone's mind, after Nooroo makes Marinette an offer that she simply can't refuse. She talks over what she can about the situation with her coworkers, while Adrien prepares himself for his evening visit.
> 
> Once they are together, of course, things escalate fairly quickly, and the Kwamis have a front-row seat for an inspiring spectacle. But the emotions churning between Marinette and Adrien are intense and powerful, and when Nooroo makes his move... just what _did_ happen there?
> 
> (Somehow, they _did_ find the time to do some translating.)

Delicate, Chapter 19

* * *

Monday morning brought with it many expected things. A reluctance to get out of bed, a bit of traffic on the usual byways, and fresh coffee in the pot in the break room were all routine for Marinette... as were the heads that turned her way the moment that she passed through the office door.

"Hey!" Amy called, with a smile and a wave.

"Hi, Amy! Hi, Gail," Marinette waved back. "How was your weekend?"

"Not bad," Gail replied, as Marinette settled in. "Peter took me out to a movie on Saturday night; otherwise, nothing too unusual."

"What did you see?" asked Amy, determined to keep herself from peppering Marinette with _all_ the questions in the first three minutes.

"A period piece, about a portrait-painter and the woman she falls in love with. It was second-run, I'm trying to recall its name. Very artsy. I liked it," Gail replied. "How about you?"

"I got tied up doing things with my mom most of yesterday," Amy said. "Saturday night, Jacques and I went out dancing and drinking a bit, and, um..."

"...And," grinned Marinette. "It's not like we really have to guess."

"And how about _you?_ " beamed Amy, now that Marinette had put that topic in the air. "Did you get some Adrien time in? Or, more like, did Adrien get some time in..."

"You... could say that," Marinette offered, gliding past the double entendre. "I spent most of the weekend with him... and a little bit with his father, too."

* * *

 _That_ was a conversation-halter.

 _"...What,"_ Amy blurted out.

"You met with _Gabriel Agreste?_ " Gail marveled. "Already?"

" _Oh my gosh_ tell me _everything!"_ bubbled Amy, pulling her chair closer.

Marinette smiled in Amy's direction. "Oh, now you want to hear about that instead of the sex?"

"I want to hear about that _and_ the sex," Amy clarified, getting a laugh. "As long as it wasn't sex _with_ his father."

"Ewww! Hell, no," Marinette cringed. "He's about as alluring as a plane crash."

"Now that that's settled..." quipped Gail, "let's slow down. You'd told us that Adrien and his father quite _literally_ had a blowup, and they hadn't spoken since. Did you two go and confront him?"

"Not yet... Adrien wasn't ready for that. So I... um... didn't let him know that I was going to talk with his father."

Amy's jaw dropped, as Gail whistled in quiet appreciation. "Marinette... you are a _wonder_ ," she remarked. "As in, I wonder what goes through your mind sometimes! Whatever did you _do?"_

Needless to say, much of her conversation with Gabriel needed to be redacted, but Marinette did her best not to be obviously evasive as she described it. "I was trying to play peacemaker, without laying wrong on either side. It's up to them if they can ever be half of what they once were... but Adrien had made it clear that he wanted _some_ place in his father's life. Some connection, even if it ended up being just closure. And Gabr... Mr. Agreste said much the same to me."

"If you're on a first-name basis with Gabriel Agreste and you're still working _here..._ " said Amy, shaking her head.

"A dangerous game... but one that sounds like it turned out all right in the end. Something that you have a knack for," Gail smiled. "What did _Adrien_ say to you about it?"

"We talked for half the night once I got home; he was waiting for me there. He'd figured out where I'd gone, but he wasn't _mad_... I mean, he didn't like it but he understood it. I think he was more worried for me than angry at me," explained Marinette. "But we made up quickly, and enjoyed the rest of the weekend."

"And now we get to the good part," giggled Amy.

"Actually, _tonight_ is the... oops!" Marinette began. She stopped when she realized what she'd said, but knew that there was no putting that genie back in the bottle.

"Tonight's the whaaaat?" Amy grinned.

"And do I even want to know?" added Gail.

"We're getting together tonight, and... uh..."

Marinette felt herself blushing as she said it. _Now, how am I supposed to explain THIS?_ she wondered, thinking back to the night before...

* * *

A strange and nervous feeling came over Marinette as she and Nooroo stepped into her kitchen for privacy. _What's worrying him?_ she thought. _This isn't usually like him._

"Okay," Nooroo began. "I wish to clarify something first, and Adrien asked me to speak with you about part of this, so... um..."

"I don't think that you're going to offend me, Nooroo. Though you _do_ have me wondering," Marinette assured him. "What's on your mind?"

"I, as you know, am a Kwami," stated Nooroo, amusing Marinette with his formal tone. "And a Kwami is not a human being, or originally of this world. We are fascinated by human behavior in all of its manifestations, especially those that are not for public view... "

"Ah," said Marinette, sensing where this could be going.

"Including their mating rituals, both for procreation and for recreation. It is an area in which many humans show great creativity," Nooroo continued. "But we are not... _aroused_ by what we see in the ways that you are. We are not wired the same way, I suppose you could call it... and we do not have the relevant parts. Nothing even analogous to those, truthfully."

"Nooroo," Marinette replied, softly, "I know that you've watched Adrien and I making love, more than once. Once was by accident, in the living room when you heard a sound. Another time, you and Tikki were peeking from the closet. Tikki lives with me; she has to have seen me naked hundreds of times by now, and she's not a peeper, right? So, no, I am not accusing you of anything bad or dirty; you were just curious about what we were doing."

 _"And_ last night, for full disclosure," stammered Nooroo. "The second and third times. I, uh..."

Marinette gave him a glare, but relented after a moment. _He's trying,_ she thought.

"Part of it is the way in which I see the material world; I will be happy to describe it to you sometime in more detail. I am sensitive to both light and to emotional auras... and when you and Adrien are being intimate, the lightshow is irresistible to me. Like a siren's call. Even though I do wish to respect your privacy..."

"We can talk about this again when we're not in the middle of something, okay? Unless this has something to do with your butterflies?" wondered Marinette. "I thought that's what we were all discussing just now."

Nooroo paused. As Marinette watched him, she found herself wondering, _...Is he BLUSHING? He's naturally lavender, so it's hard to tell!_

"My powers are keyed to emotions. Something about which, when they were misused by Hawkmoth, you were painfully aware," Nooroo answered. "The stronger the emotional response, the stronger the Akuma would become. That is equally true for positive emotions: courage, joy, yearning, compassion, a need to help... and love. Love may be the strongest of them all, so you can see how you and Adrien are ideal candidates for me."

"Go on..." Marinette told him, raising an eyebrow.

"And you already know that I can transform someone with just a touch, rather than with a host and a butterfly. We did that earlier today," he continued. "I've transformed multiple people at once negatively, as Adrien pointed out, when they were touching the same object. That's how you had to fight the Sapotis, or Oblivio, or that horrible mariachi band thing that one time."

Marinette closed her eyes. "But on the light side of your powers... you don't necessarily need an object," she sighed.

"No, I don't. The targets do have to be touching each other, though. And the more emotional they feel when they are touched by me, the better... and I cannot imagine a more emotional spectacle than... er... how you and _Adrien_ interact."

"So what you are telling me," glared Marinette, "is that you want Adrien and I to make love, with you right next to us, watching us, waiting for just the right moment to transform us _in the middle of the act._ "

"Preferably at a moment of... er... mutual climax," Nooroo managed. "If you think that you can manage that. Ideally. I know that not every couple has the knack, though from what I've witnessed... I've said too much."

"And Tikki and Wayzz ought to be nearby, too, just to monitor the process, I suppose?" Marinette added, with a hint of a smile on her face.

"It would not be a bad idea, for safety's sake. And I assure you, they wouldn't be any more aroused than I would be," mumbled Nooroo. "Which is to say, not at all. _O_ _f course_."

"Of course," repeated Marinette. "And you don't have to touch anywhere... in particular, right?"

"Oh, no, _no_ ," Nooroo babbled. "As long as I can make contact with both of you at once. I can recommend a couple of positions that would maximize..."

Marinette crouched down, feeling herself about to crack up laughing. "I think that you've seen that we're already pretty good at a bunch of positions, _thank you very much_ ," she ventured.

"I am aware that this may make you most uncomfortable," Nooroo apologized. "Many humans prefer complete privacy when it comes to intimate relations. Although there _was_ one of my hosts..."

Marinette's laughter stopped abruptly. " _Please_ tell me that Adrien's father isn't an exhibitionist," she pleaded.

"Not while I knew him," Nooroo assured her. "He was as far from that as I could imagine. I think that I only caught him touching himself once, and it might have been by accident."

"Nooroo," Marinette smiled, "if you want this to happen... please keep that mental image as far out of my head as possible for the duration."

"There _is_ one very positive side effect," parried Nooroo, "that I feel that I must inform you about."

He whispered in Marinette's ear...

A moment later, she strode out of the kitchen with Nooroo following her, with three anxious faces waiting for them on the couch.

"Adrien," she declared, "your Kwami has just made me an interesting proposal. An indecent proposal, to be precise. And having heard his logic, I'm inclined to accept."

"You are?" asked Adrien.

"You... _are?"_ repeated Tikki, looking surprised.

"Tell me, love," Marinette smiled as she approached Adrien. "When I found you after all that time, you were in a pretty kinky situation. But have you ever had sex with three others watching you, and one of them _helping_?"

"N-no?" a startled Adrien replied. "Never. I didn't even know it was an option."

"Are you busy tomorrow night?"

* * *

With that memory in mind, Marinette took a deep breath before replying.

"Tonight is going to be something special in that department. I'm sure of it," she began her explanation. "Everything up to now has been wonderful, don't get me wrong... but I just have a strong feeling that tonight will be a real moment for us."

"And, _no,_ Amy, _"_ she added quickly, "that does not mean that I've been taking gymnastics classes, or that I'll be breaking out the toy-box, or calling in two more people and a referee."

"All right," Amy allowed, "though I wouldn't say that I've never tried at least two of those. What's the difference, then?"

"I should say that it's obvious," noted Gail. "After talking with Adrien about what happened with his father, your connection is that much stronger now, right?"

"That's where I was going, yeah," agreed Marinette. "He's coming over tonight; we'll turn on the soft music, light a few candles, I'll show off a little something I bought for just such an occasion..."

"I'm guessing lace," Amy ventured. "You don't seem like a skintight leather kind of girl."

That gave Marinette a good laugh inside. _Amy, you have no idea how much time I've spent swinging around Paris in a form-fitting outfit! I bet that you never pictured me as a swinger, either..._

"I think that he'll approve," Marinette smiled. "Trust me on that."

"I have no doubt of that at all," Gail agreed. "Are you calling out of work tomorrow?"

"I... don't think so?" replied Marinette, looking surprised. "I'm not sick."

"But you _will_ be exhausted, from the sounds of it," grinned Gail. "Or, let me put it another way. Do you think that you'll have both recovered sufficiently to come by my place tomorrow night?"

"Sure... I'll check with Adrien, but I know that he said he should be free," she smiled. "And I know he had a good time meeting all of you last week."

"I, uh... didn't embarrass myself _too_ much that night, did I?" wondered Amy. "Fangirling over him?"

"No, don't worry about that. He's got a good sense of humor about that kind of thing, and from what he told me, it'd had been a while since he'd been recognized like that," Marinette assured her. "And he got through the evening ungroped. By you, at least."

"I'll behave, I promise," Amy grinned. "If there's anything left of him after tonight, at least."

* * *

Around six o'clock, Adrien checked his reflection in the mirror for the fourth time, then swigged a cap of breath-freshening mouthwash just to be sure.

"You look _fine_ , I assure you," Nooroo told him. "Nor do I suspect that _anything_ would dissuade your lady-love tonight."

"I am still trying hard to figure out how you talked her into this," Adrien grinned in his direction. "It's one thing for her to know that you've been watching our lovemaking. But it's quite another for her to _invite you in with us!_ "

"Do not get me wrong!" protested Nooroo. "I will not be a _participant_ , per se! I am not going to be... touching either of you in a salacious manner. Or myself! There's nothing there on me to touch!"

"Which is good to know, I guess. For what it's worth, I've never looked down there very closely." Adrien made a point of not looking there now. "So how _do_ Kwamis reproduce?"

"We... don't?" Nooroo replied, reluctantly. "We are born when a new concept emerges in the universe... a new idea of such potency that it rocks the universe. There aren't many of those left, I suspect, though I've been surprised before. And, of course, the Miraculous are something else entirely; they bind us to this plane, but they do not create us."

"About that," Adrien asked, pausing his outfit adjustments. "If Duusu is both trapped with my mother and floating freely after I destroyed the Peacock... how does that work? Is one or the other the 'real' Duusu?"

"I do not know," Nooroo evaded. "Personally, I believe that they _both_ are. A concept can exist in multiple places, after all; our current shapes are related to how humans perceive us and choose to perceive us. Different cultures interpret us in different ways. Duusu may be flickering through the universe, drawn to the next strong source of emotion she can find... or she might be right here watching all of us right now, unable to interact but fully aware. Or something else entirely that we can't know. Plagg was a bit melodramatic that night."

"You think?" Adrien said, rolling his eyes a bit. "Though he had every right to be angry."

"That is between the two of you. I choose not to get in his way when he's sulky," sniffed Nooroo. "Which, as I'm sure you know, can be much of the time. Anyway... as I said, I will not be _stimulating_ you or Marinette. You two do a tremendous job of that on your own! At the moment in which I sense the most heightened emotions, I will touch each of you lightly and transfer power, and we will see what becomes of it. Perhaps Veilpiercer and Unraveler will manifest... but likely something else."

"...Like what?" asked Adrien.

"Again, I cannot know. It depends on the strength of the emotions, the guidance towards 'translating the book' that I may provide, the desires in your subconscious mind... many such factors," Nooroo smiled. "What I do know is that if things go as I suspect they may... this could be a night that neither of you will never forget."

"And what does _that_ mean?"

Nooroo answered that with a silent and knowing smile.

* * *

A nervous Marinette darted through every room of her apartment, getting every detail just right, then returning to get every detail even righter.

"Marinette... you are going to blow his mind tonight," Tikki chided her. "You're tidying up things that he will never even look at. If his eyes leave _you_ for more than a minute, I'll be amazed."

"Well... I know that, but this is a big night! The closer we are when Nooroo does his thing, the more power he says that we could channel... so I want this to be _perfect,_ " Marinette called back.

"I'm sure it will be," said Tikki. "You're sure that you want to do it this way? With all of our... company?"

"I _do_ prefer a little privacy, but... was Nooroo wrong about anything, the way that he described it?" countered Marinette. "Nooroo powering the two of us so that we can uncover secrets and translate them at the same time. You and Wayzz nearby to help pull us _out of it_ if something goes wrong again, and to provide insight on what it is that we're finding. I would rather have you steer me away from something dangerous than to find it out myself, and then wake up in Cairo or be turned into a newt."

"Fair enough. You've done some strange things since you became Ladybug, I guess this isn't the strangest," Tikki allowed. "And what else was it that he told you that helped convince you?"

"Well..." Marinette replied, feeling herself blush a bit. "Do you remember how Adrien described it when I butterflied him as Lumière? That he felt like I was combined with him, and I felt like a living, feeling part of him? I felt pretty much the same when he butterflied me as Papillon Noir."

"Uh-huh..."

"Now, just imagine... Adrien and I, making love, going over the edge at the same time... and at _that_ instant, I'm in his head and he's in mine, feeling _everything_ the other's feeling at that moment, on top of our own sensations."

Tikki blinked, processing that, then blinked again.

" _Boom_ ," Marinette grinned.

"You did take your vitamins, right?" Tikki said, after a moment.

A knock on the door sent Marinette running to it. "Too late now, if I didn't!" she giggled.

* * *

Marinette opened the door and instantly knew that she'd made the right decision. "Well, well," she purred. "Look what I found!"

A handsome young man stood before her, dressed for a night on the town... or perhaps just to stay in and look adorable on her couch. A dress shirt and tie, dark slacks, and a jacket slung over his shoulder comprised a classic ensemble.

"I followed you home. Will you keep me?" Adrien asked, equally enchanted by what he saw before him.

The apple of his eye had dressed for the occasion, just as he had. A black party dress, the "little black dress" of fame and folklore, accentuated Marinette's curves. White stockings, black heels, a subtle silver necklace... her blue eyes were the brightest spark of color to be seen, captivating him as always.

"Oh, I think I can make room around here for one more like _this,"_ she giggled. "I haven't seen you all dressed up like this for a very long time."

"I had a feeling that it would be worth it," smiled Adrien. "And, obviously, it was."

"Do you know why I like a man with a necktie?" asked Marinette, coyly.

"Why is that?"

Her hand reached out and grasped his tie, tugging on it gently. "Get in here, you," she grinned, leading him inside on his impromptu leash.

* * *

A glance at the living room revealed some lit candles, a bottle of wine and two glasses waiting for them.

"I figured that we don't need to rush into things right away," Marinette noted as they approached the couch. _Not that I couldn't just tear that off of you right now,_ she grinned to herself.

"Certainly," Adrien agreed. "I'm here until you kick me out."

"Don't tell me that," Marinette winked. "Or you'll need a change-of-address form."

She stepped out of her heels and settled onto the couch as Adrien opened the wine bottle. "It's nothing very fancy," she told him. "And not too much of it tonight for either of us."

"Ah, so you're not getting me drunk so you can have your way with me?" grinned Adrien, pouring out two glasses.

"No, I want you sober when I do that," Marinette flirted back.

 _"Someone's_ in the mood tonight," Adrien parried. "Good."

"How can I not be?" she simmered. "I have you here. A wonderful, romantic evening for two... plus three more, eventually..."

"Speaking of," said Adrien. "Nooroo, do you want to meet up with the other Kwamis for a bit?"

"They're back in the bedroom," gestured Marinette. "Trust me, we won't, er... get started without you. We're just going to talk for a bit."

Nooroo floated out of Adrien's jacket pocket and nodded at her. "That suits me. We will make whatever preparations are needed, if any," he declared, then fluttered off.

"I'm not sure what 'preparations' he's talking about," smiled Marinette, sipping at her wine. "If we go back there and he's set up a trampoline and a trapeze, we're coming back out here."

"He told me what he said that he'd told you," Adrien clarified. "That he will stay out of the way, and only power us up at the right moment. I told him that we do _not_ need any warm-up exercises."

"Oh, I _know_ we don't," cooed Marinette.

She leaned in and kissed him, softly and tenderly, lingering just for a moment. "Just _thinking_ about this had my motor running all day," she smiled.

"That feeling is absolutely mutual," breathed Adrien. "Whether the Book part of it works or not. If it doesn't, we can always try again another time, or another way. But being here with you..."

He watched her melting at his words. "Ever since I fell back into your life... for the first time in a very long time, I've known what I want most. Where everything in my life has been leading me. Where I know that I need to be."

"Exactly," she beamed. "It's a funny feeling that we're also doing this for a _reason_... like we're on a mission, or something..."

"Hah," laughed Adrien. "Imagine Master Fu telling us, 'Hawkmoth is threatening Paris. Go and make love and power up.'"

"Oh, he'd _never_ ," Marinette said, laughing with him. "I think he knew that this was destined... he certainly knew how _I_ felt... but we were kids then, and he knew not to rush things. We'd figure it out someday."

Adrien raised his glass. "To Master Fu, wherever he is," he declared, touching Marinette's glass gently with his. "For changing our lives for the better, in so many ways."

"Agreed," smiled Marinette. "May he be as happy as we are."

She leaned into another kiss... and, this time, there was no chance of it ending any time soon.

* * *

In the bedroom, the Kwamis compared notes.

"Are you sure that you're ready for this, Wayzz?" asked Tikki. "The translations may come fast and furious, once they get going."

"If they are reading what they're finding correctly, which would mean that Nooroo's transformations are performing as desired, _they_ should be able to spot most potential wards," Wayzz replied. "But I will be listening intently."

"From the looks of them, there should be no shortages of energy," smiled Nooroo. "They're glowing brightly to my eyes already."

"You might need little sunglasses once they get going," chortled Tikki.

"They are that... athletic?" wondered Wayzz. "Or creative?"

"What do _you_ think?" Tikki asked him.

"I would not know. Master Fu had a bit of a dry spell going on... since around the 1950s, and he was hardly a libertine before that!" Wayzz noted. "I do not have much of a basis for comparison."

"This may prove educational, then," Nooroo declared. "They get high marks for enthusiasm, commitment and artistic merit."

Wayzz stared at Nooroo. "Just for the sake of knowing... all of that talk of 'I know nothing of human arousal' and 'I am simply observing,'" he asked. "You _are_ being completely truthful about that, aren't you?"

Nooroo gasped in indignation. "I certainly am!" he snapped back. "And I'm not the only one here who's been peeking."

"I... have a vested interest in Marinette's happiness," Tikki mumbled, as Wayzz turned in her direction. "And I am very satisfied that Adrien does, as well."

Footsteps were heard in the hall right about then. The Kwamis turned to see Adrien at the doorway, holding Marinette in a bridal carry position, breaking their kiss just long enough to ensure she wouldn't hit her head on the way through.

"As I was saying," Tikki grinned. "The Book of Lore is on the dresser. Good luck to all!"

"Are the two of you remaining close?" Marinette asked Wayzz and Tikki, as Adrien set her back on her feet.

"I am," Tikki said. "Wayzz, that's up to you if you would rather remain outside until the transformation."

Wayzz stared back at her, silently... then muttered, "I will remain here. Just in case."

"Uh-huh," laughed Tikki.

"All right, then. Ground rules. Nooroo, you know what to do and when to do it," Adrien declared. "As for you two, no advice, no heckling, no telling us that we're doing it wrong! And hold your applause until the ride comes to a complete stop."

"We wouldn't dream of it," Wayzz replied, nervously.

"I would... but I'll be good," Tikki smiled.

Marinette turned her back to Adrien, momentarily. "Would you get the zipper, please?" she asked him. Once the deed was done, she looked back over her shoulder with a big smile on her face. "And now..." she breathed.

Slowly - very slowly - Adrien shimmied the black dress off her shoulders, down her body and to the floor, his hands following the contours of her body as he lowered it. As she stepped out of it and turned slowly, giving him a good look, Adrien's eyes went wide. She wore a white lace camisole on top, a garter belt and white stockings, and very little else.

"You are a _vision_ ," Adrien encouraged her. "Wow!"

"I was saving this look for a special occasion," blushed Marinette. "I think this qualifies."

As she stepped forward again and kissed him while unbuttoning his shirt, Nooroo moved to the headboard while Tikki motioned Wayzz over to the nearby dresser.

"I hope that you brought some popcorn," Tikki giggled to him. "This may be a while."

* * *

"My _word_!"

Tikki glanced over at Wayzz, whose gaze was riveted on the spectacle before him. Marinette's hands were clutching the sheets tightly as Adrien did his best to make her quiver... and, evidently, his best was more than sufficient. Her eyes were locked onto his, her breathing was heavy, and Wayzz had certainly never heard _those_ sounds from either of them before.

"Inspirational, aren't they?" smiled Tikki.

"That's one way to put it," Wayzz agreed. "I am so used to thinking of them as children, that this was slightly jarring to me at first... but their mutual passion is undeniable. Master Fu called them 'made for each other' at first sight, and as usual, he was quite correct."

"Look at Nooroo!" giggled Tikki, pointing in his direction. "He's like a child at Christmas right now, just watching them. It must be like a fireworks show for his perceptions."

"Indeed," chuckled Wayzz. "But their ardor doesn't surprise me entirely... These two try so hard to please each other, in every way. So why not like this, as well?"

"They pined _so_ strongly for each other when they knew each other before," Tikki said, "and had so many difficulties that kept them apart. It does my heart good to see them like this, free at last to express themselves."

They watched as Marinette flipped Adrien over onto his back in a smooth motion.

"And expressing themselves, they are," Wayzz approved. "As a man I once knew used to sing... the kids are alright."

Tikki turned back to him. "Wait, you knew Roger Daltrey?" she asked.

"Who?" he replied.

"Exactly," smiled Tikki.

"I meant Claude the garbageman down at the local market. Whom did _you_ mean?" asked Wayzz, looking puzzled.

"Never mind," sighed Tikki, pleasantly. "I should have known that Master Fu didn't care for that kind of music. We'd better pay attention... it looks like Nooroo's about to make his move."

* * *

While Nooroo was indeed watching them intently, he was the last thing on Marinette and Adrien's minds at that moment. They were face to face, Adrien in a sitting position, Marinette facing him on his lap with her legs wrapped around him. Their movements from there were subtle, but increasingly insistent, and clearly bringing both of them closer to losing control.

"I love you, Marinette," Adrien murmured in a low voice, holding her tightly.

"I love you, Adrien," Marinette shined back. "Yesterday... I know you that didn't ask me for _real_... but you heard what I said once I caught my breath."

Adrien remembered Marinette in what resembled a bridal gown, and replied, "I saw that you were nervous... but I heard an 'I do.'"

"Someday," she managed, "I'm going to say it again. When the time is right."

"Someday," he told her, "you'll have no doubt of what I'm asking. When we're ready."

They melted into a passionate kiss, still entwined intimately, and as their combined writhing continued to intensify, so did the volume of their vocal output.

"I'm... I'm _close_ ," moaned Marinette. _"So_ close."

"M-me, too," Adrien gasped. "Nooroo, if you're gonna..."

"I hear you," Nooroo declared, flying to their side. His eyes were mostly closed, their combined emotion apparently too bright for even his mystic eyes to bear. "Do the two of you accept my power?"

" _Yes!_ " bellowed Adrien.

" _YES!"_ Marinette shouted, even louder.

Just as their movements reached their peak, as their bodies stiffened, and as Marinette let out an incoherent wail... Nooroo leaned forward and touched each of their shoulders, very gently.

* * *

There are many in the city of Paris who have put what happened next to intense debate.

Some investigators claimed it to be some sort of mass hallucination - a delusional wave cascading over the area, its provenance unknown. Others suspected a chemical leak, though they could never specify from where or what chemical could have produced the effects. There were some who claimed divine intervention or some sort of similar miracle... and who can say for sure about that, really?

About all they can agree upon is that, on that Monday evening... it most definitely _happened_.

* * *

Tikki opened her eyes, mildly surprised that she still could.

She remembered a blinding white flash... no, a flash came and went in an instant. This was a _wave!_ It was like sitting in your bedroom and having a bomb go off in your hat. She remembered being fearful as it erupted, frightened that something had gone terribly, terribly wrong...

...And, yet, it _wasn't_ anything dire. There was no heat, no concussion, no disintegration effects... she had fallen off the box she had been sitting on, but was otherwise unmoved, lying on Marinette's dresser and looking straight up at the ceiling. She felt down her tiny body to make sure that all of the parts were still there, and they were intact.

She looked to her left and saw Wayzz in a similar state, flat on his own back, a tiny bit of drool escaping from his open mouth. He looked unharmed, but also thoroughly disconnected from coherent thought patterns.

"Wayzz?" she managed. "Are you all right?"

Her voice brought him around somewhat. "Tikki?" he mumbled. "I... I am, I think. Are you?"

"I am. Actually... I feel _wonnnnnderful."_

She had to admit; she really, _really_ did. There was some dissociation, as if her body and mind were separate entities and the latter was studying the former's capacities... but all in all, she felt far more euphoric than anything else. A sense of relaxation swept over her; a calmness, with a knowledge that nothing was wrong nor could possibly be wrong anywhere near her.

"I haven't felt like this in a thousand years," Wayzz added, in amazement. "Perhaps ten thousand. Or more."

"What in the blue hell just _happened?"_

Wayzz turned his head towards her, the small movement clearly an effort for him. "...I think that the _COSMOS_ just had an orgasm," he said, flatly.

Tikki stared at him, blankly. "I beg your pardon?" she deadpanned.

"You felt it," said Wayzz, matter-of-factly. "Extraordinarily positive emotions, physical pleasure at its strongest, emotional bonds, excitement, passion, love! All swirling together, a combined target of a magnitude which Nooroo might never have contacted before. It didn't just transform them... it _exploded!"_

"Oh, my goodness...!" Tikki realized, whirling around. "Are they..."

The first thing that she saw was Nooroo, apparently having been thrown onto a nearby pillow. Weakly, Tikki forced herself to wobble to his side; he was physically whole, but unconscious. His mouth hung open, and the look on his face spoke more of utter rapture than terror, despite his unresponsiveness.

"Come on, come on... wake up!" she muttered, shaking him gently.

 **"Is he all right?"** a reverberating voice intoned. **"That was certainly not our intent. It seems that none of us knew our true inner strength."**

* * *

Tikki turned to face the voice, and was startled into silence.

The two figures before her certainly resembled Marinette and Adrien, still entwined in the seated position they had been in moments before... but infused with a glowing golden-and-red power. Like a red-hot coal, the glow was somewhat muted but only hinted at the raw fires churning within. A bedsheet wound itself around their lower bodies and rotated around them slowly, glowing in the same manner, as if to grant them a small modicum of modesty.

They were also hovering in the air together, nearly a meter above the mattress.

"Marinette? Adrien? Are _you_ all right?" she asked, slowly. "You're in control of this?"

 **"We are two and are one,"** they said, simultaneously. Their voices could be distinguished as male and female, but hung in the air with a distinct heaviness.

 **"We are in control, yes. Have no fear, Tikki,"** added Marinette, smiling down at her. **"Nooroo has granted us a gift beyond our wildest dreams."**

 **"If my father had known that Nooroo could do THIS,"** Adrien laughed, **"he might have never bothered to chase the Cat and Ladybug. Nothing could have prepared me for this!"**

 **"I did my best,"** Marinette answered him, teasingly.

 **"And so you did, my love,"** Adrien replied. **"Nevertheless... you are not overwhelmed?"**

 **"I didn't say THAT,"** Marinette giggled. **"Words can't describe this feeling!"**

A small voice from the dresser indicated that Wayzz was slightly mobile again. "Nooroo, what have you done?" he mumbled, very quietly, then addressed the floating lovers. "You are _certain_ that you are in control of yourselves, and we do not need to intervene?" he asked them. "What are your powers in this form?"

 **"Understanding,"** replied Marinette. **"Of ourselves, of each other... of everything that we can imagine."**

 **"Of how all things should be,"** smiled Adrien.

"You're _omniscient?"_ boggled Tikki.

 **"No, I wouldn't say that,"** said Adrien. **"We do not know everything that there is to know.** **More like... we share insight into all that is around us."**

 **"Shall we demonstrate?"** Marinette asked him, and when he nodded, she waved her hand in the air. The Book of Lore launched itself off of her dresser, hovered in a golden energy ball before them, and opened to its first page, which glowed slightly with a blue tint.

 **"Do you see?"** she asked Tikki and Wayzz. **"The secret text that I found before... and a second secret that I'd missed!"**

Abruptly, she burst into laughter. Adrien looked at her inquisitively, studied the page, and started laughing himself.

 **"What a sense of humor the Guardians had!"** he chuckled. Turning to the curious Kwamis, he added, **"It's a note about the ancient Ladybug shown here... but also kind of a pun, a play on words. Quite clever!"**

"So you can read it? All of it?" wondered Wayzz. "Do we need to get water and clove oil and the other things that we used yesterday?"

 **"No need,"** grinned Marinette. **"With us li** **ke this, no secrets can escape my sight. Do be a dear and write these down, my love?"**

**"My pleasure."**

Adrien gestured towards one of Marinette's blank notebooks, joining the Book of Lore in the energy ball. They raised their joined hands towards the books... and as Marinette spoke aloud from the Book of Lore, emitting sounds both recognizable and unknown to Tikki, words appeared on the pages of Adrien's book.

"Be careful!" hissed Tikki. "I mean, you seem to know what you're doing, but..."

 **"Thank you, my friend,"** said Adrien. **"We will avoid the traps by simply not reading them."**

"And how will you know which are the traps within?" Wayzz queried.

Marinette tapped her glowing head. **"Insight,** " she winked. **"Watch!"**

The pages of the book began to flip faster, then faster still... as did the notebooks. Wayzz and Tikki stared in awe as the golden figures reached the back cover within the next two minutes.

 **"That wasn't so bad, was it?"** Adrien asked.

 **"Well, that one spell COULD have put us into suspended animation,"** Marinette chided him. **"Good thing that we skipped over it, huh?"**

 **"So,"** intoned Adrien. **"Now what shall we do?"**

 **"I have an idea,"** Marinette cooed, giving him an idea of what she meant with a caressing hand and a sultry glance.

 **"An excellent idea,"** Adrien agreed. **"And no time like the present!"**

"Um..."

* * *

Tikki watched as the pair rose into the air a little higher, the golden bedsheet falling down and returning to its normal cloth state. Their figures entwined once more, beginning a horizontal dance in mid-air, turning and writhing and emitting little giggly noises...

A hand reached out and grabbed Tikki's shoulder. "We should leave now," Wayzz told her. "We have demigods at play before us - and can we say that they have not earned it?"

"But... but... _that!_ " mumbled Tikki, helplessly.

"Let me put it another way, then. They could emit another pulse of cosmic passion at any moment. Do you want to be at point-blank range when they do?" Wayzz smiled. "We should see if the rest of the neighborhood is still standing. And the Miracle Box! And we need to get Nooroo out of here so he doesn't have a seizure when they _do_ pulse again! The poor thing's still overloaded."

"...You're right," Tikki said, shaking her head and clearing her thoughts. "Let's do this, while we can."

Together, they lifted Nooroo up and gently carried him into the closet, where the Miracle Box resided. They pushed the door shut with a mighty shove, the golden glow still shining through the slats on the closet door.

"Do you think this is far enough?" wondered Tikki.

"I have no idea. For now, I'll take him inside," Wayzz said, "and see if the Box sheltered the other Kwamis. Can you check on Audrey and the neighbors?"

"I'm on it," Tikki declared.

She touched Nooroo's forehead gently, watching him still slumbering. "It's a good thing that your transformations are temporary," she told him. "But how much energy do you think they'll need to burn off to revert to normal?"

Wayzz sighed with a smile. "It may be a looooong night," he replied.


	20. Bringing Some Joy To The Neighborhood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Kwamis take shelter from Marinette and Adrien's Nooroo-empowered nookie, the effects of which are definitely more far-reaching than anyone had expected. Wayzz is feeling thoughtful, Plagg thinks it's hilarious, Nooroo goes from comatose to copacetic, the Zodiacs are responding in all sorts of ways... and Tikki finds herself both euphoric and troubled.
> 
> Once the smoke clears, and someone gets in touch to ask just what in the _hell_ is going on in Marinette's apartment, the group does its best to figure out the next step. The translation efforts were just as successful as the lovemaking efforts, it appears. But even that doesn't mean that what comes next is obvious or easy.

Delicate, Chapter 20

* * *

As Wayzz shepherded Nooroo through the portal to the Kwami village, he felt Nooroo stir slightly and close his mouth.

"Nooroo, can you hear me?" Wayzz asked, but got no immediate response and saw Nooroo's eyes remain closed.

 _Perhaps that's for the best,_ thought Wayzz. _He just got the shock of a lifetime to his system; he's going to need some rest. And perhaps light psychotherapy._

 _That was absolutely remarkable back there,_ he marveled. _I had long suspected that the upper bounds of Nooroo's power were yet to be tested... but that was a mystical projection for the ages! I should count my blessings that it was an overwhelmingly positive burst, not a negative one... or Tikki and I truly could have been endangered. Along with anyone else within a few kilometers..._

 _And as for the ardor that produced it... yes, I can see why Nooroo and Tikki find it so entrancing,_ Wayzz chuckled.

 _I must remember to ask Marinette... and perhaps Adrien, too... to allow me to examine them afterwards,_ he mused. _With that magnitude of raw magic at play... still at play, I would certainly wager... I am certain that they would want to know if any fertilization took place today. Marinette had said that she had taken chemical precautions, but magic plays by its own rules and laughs at science sometimes._

_Especially since if two budding demigods created it, however inadvertently... who is to say that the product of their union would be entirely human? And if Marinette were carrying that as herself..._

_Or if ADRIEN found himself carrying it, instead..._

Wayzz shuddered. _That is exponentially unlikely in either case, and you know it,_ he told himself. _But it goes on my to-do list once they've worn themselves out._

_For now..._

* * *

He emerged into the Kwami village and laid Nooroo down carefully. A few others were present; Daizzi was spinning like a top and giggling, Xuppu was bouncing like a superball from every rooftop and flat surface, and Sass appeared to be steadying himself somewhat. When he'd gathered his wits, Sass noted Wayzz's arrival and flew straight to him.

"Are you all right?" Sass worried. "Is Nooroo?"

"Yes, I think so," said Wayzz. "More overwhelmed than anything else. The, um... wave of emotion reached even here, I take it?"

" _Something_ certainly did, _"_ sighed Sass. "It was like someone fired a rainbow through the portal and it tickled everyone out of their minds. Quite a rush!"

"I was in the room with them when it happened. Nooroo was its catalyst, so he was at point-blank range... ah, his eyes are opening," explained Wayzz. "Nooroo, can you hear us? Do you know where you are?"

"Blerf," exclaimed Nooroo, helpfully.

"Not just yet, I see," Wayzz noted. "At least he's talking now."

"What was it that he did?" wondered Sass. "For it to reach through the Miracle Box's protections..."

"...that had to be packing some _MAJOR_ mojo!"

They turned and saw Plagg approaching from another direction, grinning but visibly startled as well. "Whatever it was, it was freakin' _great!_ " he declared. "Is there any more?"

"There might be, so be prepared," smiled Wayzz. "Let me explain..."

* * *

As Wayzz relayed the mystical experiment and its results, Sass seemed more curious about the mechanics than concerned about their reach. Plagg, on the other hand, was too busy laughing to ponder the finer details.

" _Bahahahahahaha!"_ he roared. "I knew that they were both kinda... well, _pent up_ when I knew them before... but I figured that the most they would wreck would be her old boxspring."

"I do not think that they _wrecked_ anything, so to speak. Tikki is checking on that, as well as she is able," said Wayzz. "She should meet us here shortly."

"Nnnnnnngh," moaned Nooroo, stirring a bit more.

"How were you affected?" Wayzz asked Plagg and Sass. "And the others in here?"

"Well... I can only speak for myself," Sass replied. "A brief and wonderful euphoria hit me, out of nowhere. Something impossible to resist. I regained my senses and composure shortly thereafter, after waking up on the floor. Some of the others..."

He pointed behind him, where Roaar and Ziggy could be seen taking turns rolling down a steep hill and laughing loudly, while Stompp appeared to be either teaching himself how to dance the Charleston or having a mild seizure.

"...Some of them got knocked for a loop," Plagg agreed. "Some of us are a little more innocent than others, I guess."

"If... you are..." murmured Nooroo.

"You're awake! Here, we'll help you," Wayzz declared. He and Plagg helped Nooroo to a more upright position.

"...if you are insin... insinuat... in... if you're _thinkin'_ that I'm not so inn'cent today," Nooroo declared, his indignation rising feebly, "I 'ssure you, I is. Was. Mostly."

"We are not suggesting anything bad about you, Nooroo," Sass told him. "Catch your breath. Are you hurt at all?"

"Not at all!" he grinned. "I don't know... don't know if I've ever felt better!" he gasped. "That was off the _charts!_ I did... I did that once before... the ol' _KABOOM..._ a long, long time ago... how I knew it'd work."

"Really?" Wayzz wondered. "With whom?"

"Cl...Cleopatra and Marc Antony," Nooroo replied. "But compared to _these two_... they were cold fish!"

Plagg turned towards something that he saw coming their way, and the others followed his gaze towards an approaching, wobbly Tikki.

* * *

"H-hello, all," she managed. _"Whoof!"_

"Welcome back," Wayzz greeted her. "The wave that they generated reached even in here! What did you find on the outside?"

"People are... people are, um... how should I put this?" paused Tikki. "Bowled over by what just hit 'em. Dazed. Giddy. _Inspired."_

"Inspired?" wondered Sass.

"As in, people who were alone were just, like, _wow_. Happy and dazed. But people who were with their spouse, or boyfriend or girlfriend or whoever, and had the opportunity... like _rabbits,_ I tell you," Tikki grinned. "I searched all over the neighborhood, and they were doing it everywhere that they could find privacy!"

That set Plagg off on a fresh wave of gutlaughing. "So they broadcast, 'Hey, everybody, it's horny time' all over town, basically?" he wheezed.

"Something like that," Tikki breathed. "I went as far and as fast as I could looking for people. Nobody seemed hurt or troubled. I didn't see that anyone had crashed their car or anything, and nobody hooked up with anyone _random_ , as far as I could tell. But our young lovers were _amazingly_ inspirational, it seems."

"I'll bet," Plagg cackled. "Nobody could tell where it came from, I hope?"

"I don't know how they could've," said Tikki. "What I felt didn't feel... _personal_ ; they weren't broadcasting thoughts or words or names. I don't think that they could've if they'd wanted to, at that moment... More like something intense and primal. Pure sensation."

She shuddered. " _Unforgettable,_ " she murmured, barely audible.

"Speaking of..." Nooroo interrupted, his eyes slightly glazed, focused on nothing in particular.

"Hmmm?" asked Wayzz.

 _"INCOMING!"_ bellowed Nooroo, closing his eyes and stretching his tiny arms out.

"What do you mean by-"

A sparkling wave of something unrecognizable washed over the Kwami village at that moment, less debilitating for them than the last but still stunningly pleasant, pausing the conversation for a couple of minutes.

Once the five of them settled themselves again, Nooroo grunted, "Round two."

"Two of how many, do you think?" asked Sass.

"I have no idea... but they're far from done," said Nooroo, wearily but happily, closing his eyes once more.

"In that case..."

Tikki hollered to a retreating Plagg, "What is it? Where are you going?"

"To get a lounge chair to stretch out on," Plagg grinned back. "If we're getting more of _that_ , I'm laying out and enjoying myself properly."

* * *

It took about three hours for the situation to stabilize. The Kwamis braced themselves for (and enjoyed, they were happy to admit) a series of subsequent pulses; some seemingly at a reduced strength, presumably originating from one or the other, and some clearly from combined sensation due to their magnitude.

Nooroo recovered himself sufficiently to withstand further waves and to hold a steadier conversation with the other Kwamis, though it took him a little while. By the time that Tikki settled down next to him, watching the playful chaos that was currently consuming the village, he appeared substantially refreshed and back to his normal lucidity. In point of fact, he might have had even more clarity than usual.

"Amazing, isn't it?" he remarked to her.

"What's happened to everyone?" Tikki asked. "That humans can boost your power so high that even _we_ were affected this strongly? Yeah."

"I meant the sensations themselves," Nooroo grinned. "Unbelievable! It's no wonder that when we found Earth way back when, we decided to stay. We Kwamis may be far above humans in many ways... but they possess a purity of essence, an intensity of emotion that is simply astounding. And what we're feeling now is one of their strongest manifestations of that."

Tikki shivered slightly. "I... don't have a lot of basis for comparison," she replied. "I'm not quite sure what those sensations were, entirely. I mean, I _think_ I kind of know..."

"Really?" wondered Nooroo. "Granted, I have much more experience visiting in others' minds than you do, but you have had many hosts over the years. You never... 'rode along' during affectionate moments? Not just with Marinette, but ever?"

"My Ladybugs have always put the job first, and everything else second," Tikki declared. "There has been kissing, perhaps some groping here or there... but very little beyond that. I played it cool when Marinette... _pleasured_ Adrien as Ladybug that one time, but that was a bit different, even though her internal reactions while doing that got my full attention! Giving is one thing... but receiving, or both at once, is another matter entirely."

She looked down, seemingly embarrassed as she added, "I have _watched_ Marinette from a distance during sex, but not experienced it firsthand. I have no idea how either of us would feel about even considering that! 'Turn crimson and scream' would be my guess."

Nooroo whistled. "You've been around for almost all of human history, and you've never felt for yourself what that's like for humans?" he marveled. "I'm a little surprised, I'll admit."

"Like I said... I've felt the rush in Marinette's mind, and in others, when they've been kissed! The adrenaline, the tingling, the heart-pounding. I assumed that _that_ was much the same, just a bit more intense," said Tikki, quietly. "Not like... you know. _This_. It's one thing to understand what's happening when you see it... it's something else to _understand_ this way."

"Let me assure you of something; it's not _normally_ as intense as what you've felt tonight. Not even close," Nooroo told her. "That was a perfect storm, a combined climax with magic intensifying it beyond imagination! No human might have ever felt anything quite like it before."

He paused, then added, "And I am taking care to soften their memories of it, once they transform back. I want them to remember that they had the most intimate, caring, sensual experience that they've ever had... but not to remember just _how high_ they went, and how intense it actually was. That can haunt someone... to touch utter perfection and to never be able to reach those same heights again. They could spend the rest of their lives chasing that and feeling disappointed."

"So they'll feel like that the next time they make love... that they _are_ reaching those heights, if it goes well," Tikki mused. "That's very thoughtful of you."

"A kiss of godhood is quite a gift, until it's taken away," smiled Nooroo. "And then it can be quite a curse. I look out for those I care about."

"Now I just have to figure out how to get it out of _my_ head," said Tikki, in a low voice and looking uncomfortable. "I have always joked with Marinette about her love life, about her sex life... about what drove her to pursue Adrien so intently, then and now. I used to tease and even chide her sometimes about self-control. I... I feel like I need to apologize to her now," she declared. "I've been making light of something that's amazingly important for her. That always has been."

"Can I give you some advice?" asked Nooroo.

"Please."

* * *

"You have watched humans for longer than any of us," said Nooroo. "You have seen every form of physical affection that they've invented. Soft or intense, playful or lusty or spiritual or all of the above... expressions of love, mindless pleasure-seeking, and everywhere in between. So you _know_ better; I know you do. You have watched Marinette grow from a nervous, bashful, anxious teenager chasing her first crush into a confident, brave young woman who's not afraid to ask for what she wants. And what else have you seen along the way?"

"Pretty much everything that you just described," admitted Tikki. "Moments that she found satisfying... moments that fell short. Nights where she felt the need to scratch one itch, and the same acts on another night for a very different reason. The girl who shook like a leaf when Adrien touched her hand, now daring to give all of herself to him... and finding fulfillment at last."

"When Marinette first reached out for Adrien, she wasn't seeking sex," Nooroo noted. "She wouldn't have known what to do with it if he'd offered it, and vice versa! They were far too young and immature to obsess over that then. They knew what it _was_ , but I think that they found Hawkmoth only a little bit scarier."

"Very true," Tikki agreed. "The simplest touches sent her flying."

"And she is not simply seeking sex from him _now._ Or vice versa," counseled Nooroo. "It is an important facet of their relationship, but far from its basis. Which you _also_ know. And you are supportive of her no matter where her life leads her, whatever choices she makes. And she loves you for that."

"Now, as far as those sensations go, and what they mean," he continued, "that's best discussed with her some other time, when you're alone with her. Not tonight..."

"Certainly not!" gasped Tikki. "I can't imagine what she'll be like when she comes out of this. Or Adrien."

"We'll comfort and counsel them, like we always do. And they'll surprise us with their hidden depths... like they always do," Nooroo smiled. "Don't dwell on tonight too much. You've seen their physical responses to each other; now you've felt the emotional energy that those carry, and what kind of punch that can pack. That'll help you understand each other better."

"I'm sure that it will," Tikki smiled back. "Thank you, Nooroo. I think that helps."

A sparkly buzz chose that moment to fill the air around them, making Tikki's eyes widen once again as she rode the wave.

 _"Whoa,"_ grinned Tikki. "No _wonder_ they spend so much time doing this."

"Okay... _that_ was much closer to normal sensation levels," chuckled Nooroo. "And, no, I have _not_ experienced that often. Never before with Adrien in the mix, I assure you! I had some... adventurous hosts in the Han Dynasty and once or twice in the Middle Ages, though."

"I'm jealous," Tikki replied. "I actually am. I have no idea how to reproduce that feeling, once this wears off of them!"

"It's not like I've felt this way in a couple of centuries, myself," Nooroo reminded her. "I can't just... tap into someone and call it up any time I want to. I _won't,_ I mean; it has to be their choice. And Adrien's father was about as sexual as a mailbox, at least with his wife ailing as she was."

"Thank heaven for small favors there," laughed Tikki.

"Indeed. And now that we've just felt that... I believe that we're winding down."

"You think that it's almost time?" asked Tikki.

"Yes. I'm going out there to... tug on the power gently and see if it releases," Nooroo replied. "I don't think that they'll argue much, and we may be needed soon after."

"Then let's go," Tikki declared. "I'll tell Wayzz to come along with us, once, uh... I can fly straight again."

"Take a moment," laughed Nooroo. "I know the feeling."

* * *

Once out of the portal, Nooroo gathered his willpower and closed his eyes... grunted loudly... then smiled. "It is done," he declared. "As are they, for the moment."

Tikki edged nervously out of the closet with Nooroo and Wayzz, wondering what the two of them would find.

The room was largely intact, surprising her, though the pillows and bedsheets were scattered randomly on the floor. Adrien was sprawled face-down across the narrow bed, nude and quivering. Marinette was on her back and staring at the ceiling, her legs touching his, one hand reaching for one of his aimlessly without knowing quite where it was.

"That was... was... I can't even," she murmured, a tear rolling down her cheek. Her expression and tone of voice assured Tikki that it was more of a happy tear than a traumatic moment, but her vulnerability was obvious.

"I can't move. I don't _want_ to move. Are we still in your room?" asked Adrien, his voice slightly muffled by the mattress.

"Why, yes. Where else would you be?" Nooroo asked, alerting them to his presence.

"Died and gone to heaven was my next guess," Marinette answered. "Oh... my _GOD."_

Adrien rolled over slightly to face her, and in a flash she was in his arms, holding each other tightly.

"Drink it in," Tikki said, very gently. "Take all the time you need. I've never seen anything like that! Ever."

Looking over Marinette's shoulder, Adrien asked, "What... did you see, exactly?"

"Well, we were watching the two of you, of course," Wayzz stated. "You were making love... rather enthusiastically... and then Nooroo empowered you."

Marinette rolled onto her back, so that she could see the Kwamis without letting go of Adrien. "And what happened then?" she asked, nervously. "I mean, I remember us attempting to translate the Book... I remember Adrien and I making love after that... but a lot of that's fuzzy around the edges for me."

Adrien nodded, at Marinette's inquisitive look. "Me, too," he confirmed. "Were we... _up in the air_?"

"For a few hours, yes. Had you set up video cameras, your fortunes would now be made for life," grinned Nooroo.

"Nnnnnno, no, no, _no_ ," Marinette gasped, shaking her head. "It's not that there's anything _wrong_ with being that kind of performer, but this is the only time I think I'll ever want an audience for that," she declared. "That's just me."

Adrien looked slightly pale. "My father would _explode_ if video got out. Like, literally crack open the surface of the Earth," he gulped.

"You have nothing to worry about," Tikki said. "The two of you had complete privacy apart from us, and once the Book part was done and both of you seemed stable, the three of us went back to the Miracle Box... for our own good!"

Marinette frowned. "Wait. What do you mean by that, 'for our own good?'" she asked.

Nooroo coughed lightly. "I, er, did not witness all of it. I passed out cold from the energies that you were emitting," he told them. "But from what I understand, you spent the better part of three hours... _radiating_ extremely positive energy..."

"... _Radiating?"_ asked Adrien, trying to sit up.

At that moment, Marinette's phone buzzed on her nightstand. She rolled over to look at it, read the incoming message, then cried out, " _Eep!_ " and dropped her phone onto the mattress.

"Marinette? Are you all right?" worried Adrien. He picked up her phone and gasped as he saw:

 **[Gabriel Agreste]** What the DEVIL are the two of you playing at over there?

* * *

Adrien stared at Marinette, who stared back at him. "You... didn't _tell_ him that we were going to... experiment... right?" he managed.

"Of course not!" she stammered. "He knows that I love you... so he could _guess_ that this is a thing we do... but not that _Kwamis_ were involved!"

"As I said... _radiating,"_ clarified Nooroo. "The two of you remained in this bedroom... floating about a meter above that bed, I'm told. But while your activities were not seen by anyone, Tikki can confirm that they were _felt_. And felt, and felt, and felt."

"You are _kidding_ me right now," Marinette declared. "Right?"

"Not at all," Tikki shrugged. "I checked around the neighborhood, and there may be a baby boom in this part of Paris in about nine months. I don't know just how far it reached."

Marinette practiced her thousand-yard stare... then jumped as her phone began ringing. "It's _him!_ " she yelped. "Adrien, get me my bathrobe, quick!"

"...I can't do _anything_ quick right now," he mumbled, then looked up with relief as Nooroo and Wayzz flew over and picked it out of the closet, straining a little bit under its fluffy bulk.

"Thank you," Marinette gasped, throwing it on and grabbing for a nearby hand mirror. "Oh, God," she winced, "I'm a complete sweaty mess right now, I look _horrible_ , he's going to know exactly what-"

"No," Adrien declared, turning her head gently to face his. "You're sweaty and exhausted, but you're absolutely beautiful. No matter what."

"And you have absolutely nothing to apologize for, not to that man or to anyone else," Nooroo added, flying close to them. "He doesn't control Adrien's life, _or_ yours. If you two wanted to make love under the Eiffel Tower and invite the whole world to watch, it would be none of his concern." After a pause, he continued, "...Not that you would want to, of course. As you just said. For many reasons."

Marinette pondered that for a moment. "You know what, Nooroo? You are absolutely right about that," she smiled.

"So take a minute. Compose yourself, dress however you'd want to, and call him back. You don't have to jump if he snaps his fingers," Tikki soothed her. "Though I am curious... if _he_ felt it, that far away from here..."

"Okay, okay! I'm moving," Marinette replied, making sure that her legs were mostly functional before trying to stand. "Has anyone seen where I put my blue brush?"

Wayzz gestured to her dresser. "Over here, I think," he pointed out. "I'm a little surprised that it didn't melt."

As she dressed herself, Marinette cast a glance Adrien's way. "...Wow. Maybe we _should've_ set up cameras, if we were _that_ good," she winked.

* * *

A couple of minutes later, Marinette hit the Redial button on her phone and prepared herself. Gabriel Agreste's image popped up promptly, looking more than a bit stressed-out.

"Good evening, Mr. Agreste. I saw your call too late to pick it up, but I didn't want to leave you hanging long," she began. "What can I do for you?"

"Miss Dupain-Cheng," Gabriel replied. "Do you have any idea where I am at this moment?"

"No, I don't..."

"I am locked in my bathroom. I have done this because waves of a strange energy have blanketed my home, my assistant is gazing at me with longing eyes while biting her bottom lip, I fear that she is fighting the urge to disrobe, and I am putting solid obstacles between her and myself because _I am sorely tempted to respond in kind_. I most certainly should _not_ be; I am a married man! Meanwhile, my bodyguard is performing dainty dance steps out in my flower garden. Just what have you _done_ to us?"

At her mental image of the prancing Gorilla, Marinette had to suppress a giggle. "First off, what feelings exist between you and your assistant are none of my business..." she stated. When Adrien's face lit up in alarm, she added, "Though, _of course_ I'm pleased to hear that you've remained faithful to your wife! I am doing everything that I can to bring her back to you."

"I must note that when _I_ had control of Nooroo... I did not delve into _that_ side of the emotional world," Gabriel declared. "It seemed most improper."

"Oh, and turning babies into rampaging hulks and old ladies into supervillains, that _was_ proper?" smirked Marinette. "Perhaps if you _had_ dabbled on the positive side of the spectrum, things might have gone differently for you."

"Be that as it may, my own current state is not my primary complaint," snapped Gabriel. "Would you do me the favor of turning on TVi, please?"

"Okay..."

* * *

Marinette reached for the remote control, switched on her TV and turned to that channel, seeing Nadja Chamack appear on her screen. Nadja looked... well, it was hard to say, exactly. Visibly weary, her hair a bit mussed-up... but there was a buoyant tone to her voice and expression, almost to the point of suppressed giddiness.

"- _coming to you LIVE_ from the Latin Quarter," Nadja announced, "one of the areas affected by what we are calling the _Bliss Wave Phenomenon."_

"Oh, my," Wayzz declared, watching it closely with them.

"There is no easy way to describe this, but I'll try," said Nadja. "Out of nowhere, eyewitnesses reported waves of a sparkling golden energy cascading through the streets of Paris. The energies seemed to cause no _physical_ damage to anyone or anything... instead, inspiring intense feelings of euphoria and joy."

An older woman, standing by Nadja's side, leaned towards the microphone. "It was _orgasmic,_ is what it was," she declared. "Especially that first one!"

Nadja looked at her cameraman with a _Can we let her say that?_ expression, then shrugged. "Not everyone was affected the same way by it, according to witnesses... including Mrs. Ainsley, here. Some felt emotions that were, shall we say, tamer forms of happiness? Especially children and the innocent at heart. Others, of a more mature bent, have reported everything from playfulness to overwhelming arousal."

"I'll say," Mrs. Ainsley interrupted again. "I haven't felt that ready to go since the Great Blackout of '88... Jimmy was home with me that night, and we'd ordered Chinese takeaway..."

"Preying upon emotions was, of course, the trademark of the master villain Hawkmoth," Nadja continued, undeterred. "Many have painful memories of his battles with Ladybug and Chat Noir, the city's protectors. But Hawkmoth and his Akumas have been absent from Paris for some time. Is this an unusual announcement of his return? In the studio, we have our resident Hawkmothologist, Peter Alden. Peter?"

The screen split between Nadja and her group of witnesses, including Mrs. Ainsley leaning in to wave happily to the camera, and a bespectacled man standing next to a whiteboard with scribbled notes.

"Yes, I'm here. Nadja, we have studied patterns of past Akumas... and this doesn't seem to fit the profile, exactly," Peter declared. "For one, no villain has emerged to call out Ladybug and Chat Noir, as was Hawkmoth's usual _modus operandi._ For another... these waves have been distinctly _positive_ in nature. They've been, for lack of a better term, charging people up with good feelings right up to their individual limitations."

"I'll say. I think I hit my own limitations about an hour ago," Nadja panted, catching herself before adding more to that line of thought. "So this could be some other force at work?"

"It's hard to say for sure. Hawkmoth may have changed his tactics; he is, after all, the usual suspect for phenomena involving emotions in Paris. More to come as we discover it."

As Peter signed off, the screen switched back to Nadja and her group.

"All right," she acknowledged. "So... no definitive answers yet on the cause. Those in the middle arrondissements of Paris are encouraged to be careful when driving or operating heavy machinery; while the waves have lessened and may have stopped for now, we do not know when or where they may flare up again."

"It won't be tonight, that's for sure," breathed Adrien, just low enough for Marinette to hear and giggle at.

"Meanwhile, there is no confirmation of Hawkmoth's involvement, but as always where he is concerned, be wary of purple butterflies and check on people you know who might be feeling negative emotions," Nadja added. "And if you check on someone who's rather fond of you... well, be prepared!"

She turned to the group behind her and asked, "You all had something that you wished to say to Hawkmoth, should this be his doing, yes?"

Mrs. Ainsley nodded. All together, the group of people called out, _"Thank you, Hawkmoth!"_

Marinette heard a derisive snort from the phone as Nadja signed off with, "Don't be bemused, it's just the news!"

* * *

"Now, I am no longer the villain of Paris. You and your boyfriend have seen to that," Gabriel replied, "and I do not expect to ever return to that line of work. I would prefer that my past alter ego remain in the shadows, a buried memory for most. Your pouring massive waves of emotion over square kilometers of downtown is _not_ the way to make that happen."

"That... was not our intent at all," Marinette answered, a bit embarrassed. "We were experimenting with channeling the power of emotion towards translating the Book. Things took off a bit more than we'd expected."

"I would certainly hope it was not your intent," Gabriel muttered. "Though... I will not claim that no Akumas ever got away from _my_ original intent, back in the day."

"You transformed the same baby at least _four times_ , _"_ lectured Marinette. "Poor August. What did he ever do to you?"

"The _first time_ was completely by... fine," sighed Gabriel. "Besides that... I do have some personal _pride_ regarding my villainous reputation, you understand? I would not care to go down in history as 'the man who made Parisians' loins tingle.'"

"I've heard a lot worse," grinned Marinette.

"It is at least some comfort to know that this was not _personally_ aimed at me. So..." he grunted back. "Did it _work_ , at least?"

That drew a thoughtful expression from Marinette. "I... am not sure. I know that we had something of a breakthrough..."

"I do imagine that you did."

"A _translation_ breakthrough," Marinette insisted, feeling herself turning red. "But we haven't had the, um... time and energy to go over it yet. I will let you know if we made progress that would interest you."

"Do that, please," Gabriel requested. "And, since I would know my favorite Kwami's handiwork anywhere, having utilized him so many times... _do_ tell Nooroo that I said 'hello,' would you?"

Nooroo recoiled somewhat at the sound of his former master speaking his name... then steeled himself. Working up what courage he could, he flew directly in front of Marinette's phone.

_"Thbbbbbpppppppppttttt!"_

"You know that he can't see you doing that, right?" Marinette whispered, knowing how Kwamis couldn't be recorded or photographed.

"I don't care. That felt good," Nooroo grinned back at her.

"All right, then. Have a good evening, Mr. Agreste. And I hope that your bathroom door locks are sturdy," she grinned, enjoying his frown as she hung up the call.

* * *

"Distasteful as that man is, he did raise one good question," Wayzz pointed out. " _Did_ our experiment succeed at what it set out to do?"

"Ah... yes," Marinette agreed, hastily. "I can't imagine how that slipped my mind," she added, grinning at Adrien.

On still-wobbly legs, Marinette went over to her dresser and retrieved the filled-in notebook. "Let's see what we managed to translate," she declared, sitting cross-legged on the bed next to Adrien. "Kwamis, you'll help us, of course?"

"There are things in the Book that I still insist that we should not read," Wayzz argued. "And things that _you_ should not read aloud. I'll do my best to stop us short if we run into those."

"As will I," said Tikki. "We know what we're after... or at least I think we do... so let's try to find that."

The group pored over the notebook for the better part of an hour. By the end of it, Marinette felt even more exhausted than before - which was saying something, given the circumstances.

* * *

"Would you look at this?" marveled Wayzz, as the group examined the hero-history pages. "It seems that we have more than six possible transformations!"

"I had no idea about that, either," said Tikki. "Some have one secret one, some have two... huh, Daizzi can give her host wings!"

"I bet that's where the old saying about 'when pigs fly' came from," chuckled Nooroo.

"If she knows about that transformation, she's never told me," countered Tikki. "It looks like I have _three!_ One related to active probability manipulation; I'll bet that would come in handy. One that can boost... fertility?"

"We _won't_ be testing that one out any time soon," Marinette declared.

"Speaking of... Marinette, Adrien, would you give me permission to examine each of you for a moment?" Wayzz interjected. At their confused nods, he zipped into each of their bodies in turn, emerging with a smile.

"All clear," he stated. "I wanted to make sure that your magical couplings just now did not result in any... unwanted side effects."

"I am on a prescription for that," argued Marinette.

" _Magic,_ " countered Wayzz. "Best to be sure. Better safe than sorry."

"Give me a _little_ credit, Wayzz?" Nooroo sighed. "I worked in some added protections as part of the transformation."

"Why, uh... would you be checking _me_ for that?" wondered Adrien, looking quite confused.

" _Magic,_ " giggled Tikki. "It doesn't always have to make sense. Anyway..."

"I don't know that we need to worry about those new transformations now," Marinette pointed out. "I thought that the ingredients for the main six were strange and cryptic. But 'a soul of a sheep?' 'A son of a motherless goat?' 'The worst sound in the universe?' 'How many roads must a man walk down?' Even if we wanted to make these work, we'd have to figure the clues out first."

"Fair enough," Tikki agreed.

"There's one note there that's an obvious red herring," Nooroo said. He pointed it out to Tikki and Wayzz, who both got a good laugh from it.

"What does that phrase mean?" asked Adrien.

"It's a joke," explained Nooroo. "A modern equivalent would be something like 'Don't forget to drink your Ovaltine.'"

"Is there anything else in this section we can use?" Marinette wondered.

"Oh, there are definitely some things," Wayzz smiled. "A handful of potions that we _can_ make if we need to; transformation-related things, plus more general remedies and protectants. Master Fu had or could get the herbal ingredients, so they should still be available. A couple of them refer to 'strengthening of spirit' for host and Kwami alike; I like the sound of that."

* * *

Browsing through the spells and incantations farther in was slower going. Marinette and Adrien were hesitant to read aloud what they had written without Wayzz's explicit direction, lest something nasty be called up that they couldn't put back down.

"This is amazingly complicated," worried Marinette. "Even some of the things that we _translated_ here aren't in the form of words. Some look more like phonetic syllables, and some... like that one there... that's more like a pictograph?"

"Looks like hieroglyphics, almost. But those would be more like Egyptian, not Chinese," Adrien pondered. "Wouldn't they?"

"You are both right," Tikki clarified. "Magic isn't something that translates easily into spoken language. All of that 'hocus pocus' and 'close tight, ye bands of Cyttorak' stuff is stagecraft and fairy tales. You have to know _how_ to say it just as much as _what_ to say and do."

"Which makes sense," said Adrien. "Otherwise, anyone could do it."

"Anyone _can_ , with years of training," Wayzz replied.

"...Guys?" Nooroo said, quietly, looking at one particular page in the notebook.

"I disagree," Tikki argued. "Some people are far more attuned to magic than others." Seeing Wayzz about to interject, she added, "And, no, I don't mean any kind of 'bloodlines' or Harry Potter nonsense, either."

"I wasn't going to say that," Wayzz countered. "I was going to say that it is surely a learnable skill; merely an intricate one."

"Precisely my point!" emphasized Tikki. "Some people are cut out for certain mental disciplines and others are not. For example, if I were to compare Marinette and Adrien's aptitude for that sort of thing, I would say-"

" _GUYS!"_

Four heads turned to an excited Nooroo.

"Maybe you ought to concentrate on this, instead," he noted.

* * *

The Kwamis peered at it closely. "Where did _this_ come from?" asked Tikki. "I don't remember seeing anything like this when we glanced through the Book before."

"I don't know," Marinette said. "I feel like... maybe this entire _page_ was hidden. A page-within-a-page, so to speak."

" _That_... is interesting _,"_ Wayzz marveled. "Both of you. This section here, on etheric patterns?"

"Just what I was thinking," smiled Nooroo. "And that bit there on crystal reinforcement."

"What did you find?" asked Marinette, excitedly. "In human terms?"

"A promising lead... but I fear that that is all it is," sighed Wayzz. "A fragment concerning the _making_ of a Miraculous. The actual incantations necessary to create one... you can forget about that; not only are they not written here, but they would be too complex for anything other than some master wizard of yore to cast. You would blow your heads off by trying."

"Yeah. This is more like... the first steps of a similar process," Tikki explained further. "What kind of materials to use. How to prepare them to be able to contain a Kwami's energies, even just temporarily. Luring one in and convincing it to bind itself to your offering... that is another matter entirely. Among other things, you would need some sort of fine jewelry, preferably something with an overwhelming emotional resonance, and mystic crystals attuned to the type of Kwami you'd attract. And I haven't seen even a hint of the latter in thousands of years."

"Ah," Marinette said, a bit disappointed.

"Wait," Adrien added, thinking hard. "Marinette... you told me, that Wayzz told _you,_ that Duusu fragmented herself to protect my mother's spirit. To shield her. Something about..."

Wayzz froze in mid-air. "'Magically crystalized around her' is probably as good of an analogy as any, I had said," he repeated.

"Next to impossible to get at from here..." worried Nooroo. "It's more of a _metaphysical_ shell..."

"...but we'd have to break through it _anyway_ to free the spirits trapped inside," Tikki gasped. "So why not try to put it to good use?"

* * *

They watched Wayzz close his eyes, concentrating as hard as he could for about a minute.

"Adrien," he asked, "do you own any jewelry that you associate very strongly with your mother? And, if so, is it available to you soon?"

"A silver locket," Adrien answered. "Mother gave it to me when I was much younger. It has her picture on one side and one of me when I was, oh, six or seven years old on the other. It should be in my dresser drawer in my room at Father's house, if that hasn't been disturbed."

"From what Trixx and I could tell... that room has barely been touched since you left. I'd bet that it's right where you left it," Tikki stated.

More concentrating followed... and then Wayzz opened his eyes.

"We have a path," he declared. "A dangerous, half-mad path is what I would call it in another time and place, but we are on our own and following our own guidance, and this is the best that I see so far. I would like to meditate further on the subject, preferably with this notebook to look through."

"Of course," Marinette told him. "What else can we do to help?"

"We will need buy-in from two others," said Wayzz, "and Adrien is key to each. One is his father, of course; we require access to Adrien's room for the locket, access to his mother's chamber, and permission to attempt our rescue mission. And he will need to know that it may result in her physical death _before_ we begin."

"Adrien," said Marinette, turning to him quickly, "I can talk to him for you. If you tell me where to look, I can fetch the locket or have one of the Kwamis do it."

"...No," he replied, in a flat tone. "But thank you. This whole thing has been about fitting him back into my life, somehow... it's time for me to stop running from him."

"If you're sure," she repeated.

"I am."

"And the other," Wayzz continued, "is one of our own. I need to work out some of the finer points before you would confront him, but without his assistance... this cannot succeed."

"Somehow I knew that was coming," Adrien said, with a small smile that faded.

"Talk about it with me before you do that," Tikki told him. "I mean, you will want to have your sincerely apologetic pants on again, but... I've been talking with him about things."

"Is there anything that I should do in the meantime?" asked Marinette.

Nooroo paused, then replied, " _Probably_ shower up and put on a fresh set of bedsheets. Unless I miss my guess."

The embarrassed blush only preceded the heartfelt laugh by a few seconds. "I'm on it," she grinned back.


	21. Absence Makes The Heart Grow Weary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after the Bliss Wave is, unfortunately, a work day. Marinette does her best to get up and around and out of bed -- but who is in it and how he's tempting her makes that a much harder task. Luckily for her, she's not alone in still feeling the phenomenon's effects.
> 
> But off to work she does go, knowing that Adrien has made a fateful decision... to go home and confront his father at long last. He has news to carry with him, items to retrieve, and some fumbling attempts at reconciliation to begin. His one comfort is that it isn't all that easy from his father's side, either.

Delicate, Chapter 21

* * *

For _some_ odd reason, the Kwamis were in agreement that the remainder of the evening in Marinette's apartment may have been the cuddliest night that any of them had ever witnessed.

* * *

When morning arrived, Marinette's alarm went off at her customary hour. She rolled over slightly and flung an arm across to silence it, then returned to her original position nestled in Adrien's arms. Sleepy eyes gazed at sleepy eyes, and slow kissing was next on the agenda.

"Mmmmm," Marinette murmured, trying not to lose herself in the moment. "I don't want to end this..."

"Then don't," Adrien declared, squeezing her a little bit tighter and letting a hand roam up and down her back.

And, for another minute or two, she didn't.

 _"...Ssssssssssso_ tempting," breathed Marinette, "but I do have to go to work today, and I'll need to get ready."

"No. Stay here with me," Adrien pleaded. "I promise that I'll make it worth your while."

"You absolutely would," she grinned. "I can... _feel_ how sure you are of that. Or at least my thigh can."

Adrien let his hand slide down further. "I'm not the only one who feels sure," he smiled, as his fingers produced a mild gasp.

"But, Adrien..." moaned Marinette, squirming but not trying very hard at all to get out of his reach. "My job isn't much... but I'm supposed to be a professional, right? Neither rain nor snow nor dead of night are supposed to stop me from designing shirts for children and mom jeans. I don't want to be late."

"I think that you'd have a very good excuse. Don't you think so?" Adrien noted, gauging how far to go by her reactions. He was perfectly willing to stop if necessary, but so far it seemed as if she might be persuadable. "'I can't come in right now. Adrien Agreste is in my bed and he won't let me leave for work until he makes love to me again,'" he mimicked her saying.

" _Amy_ would understand. And she'd want pictures," Marinette giggled. "But I still shouldn't... though you're... making it _very_ hard to resist."

" _And,"_ continued Adrien, his fingers remaining busy, "you got caught up in a wave of sensual bliss that engulfed half of Paris. You couldn't help yourself. You couldn't _control_ yourself."

" _We_... were... kind of _talking_ about that yesterday," gasped Marinette, struggling to retain her train of thought. " _Not_ the wave of bliss! We had... no idea that was... going to happen."

"Obviously."

"But how last night was going to be... _special..._ and how sure they were that I'd call out sick today... because of that." Marinette locked eyes with Adrien as he continued stimulating her. "You are _so_ good at that," she moaned. "I'm starting to get close already, damn it."

"Finish your thought... before I finish you," Adrien smiled, wickedly.

"So if I don't... come in to work on time... the looks that they'll give me all week!"

A *Bloop!* from Marinette's phone distracted them both. Quickly, she whirled around and grabbed at it. "That's the group chat from work," she explained, desperately. "Let me see what they're... sending..."

She read the messages silently, laughed aloud, then pointed the phone in Adrien's direction.

* * *

**[Amy]** Hey, everybody. I'm going to be a little late getting in today. Some... personal business.

 **[Gail]** Actually... me, too. I was hoping you or Marinette could tell Thomas that I would be unavoidably delayed for a bit.

 **[Amy]** Ah. Well... maybe Marinette can...

 **[Gail]** "Personal business?"

 **[Amy]** Jacques is a person. He's... conducting some business right now.

 **[Gail]** Hah!

 **[Gail]** Looks like we're both businesswomen today, then.

 **[Amy]** Oh?

 **[Amy]** You don't usually tell me about that!

 **[Gail]** You felt those waves last night, didn't you? Peter and I certainly did.

 **[Amy]** All the way down to my toes. As did Jacques.

 **[Gail]** Say no more, then, right?

 **[Amy]** Oh, my... Marinette's apartment is pretty close to where they think the center of it was!

 **[Amy]** Can you imagine...?

 **[Gail]** Marinette, honey, when you read this... send us a message if we need to send over paramedics or energy drinks.

 **[Amy]** Or a film crew.

 **[Gail]** Or that, if you're daring enough!

* * *

Adrien laughed, as well... then turned back to Marinette, who had a sudden sparkle in her eyes.

"It looks like they're..." he managed, before Marinette pulled him down on top of her.

"If you don't make me scream _now_ , you're in big trouble," she purred, hungrily. "Come and get it."

"Oh, no," he declared, with mock indignation. "You need to get ready for _work!_ You told me so."

Her arms wrapped around him tightly; her legs locked just as securely around his waist, as if she was suddenly the world's most absurdly attractive barnacle. "Think again," she grinned. "If _they're_ both coming in late because of morning sex, _we're_ not missing out. You want this as much as I do, so..."

He rocked his hips in a teasing manner, stopping just short of where Marinette needed him most. She felt him make only the slightest contact and grunted with frustration and need.

"Come _onnnnnn!_ " she begged. "Adrien, _please!_ "

"Do you know what one advantage is of having a tiny girlfriend?" he asked her.

"No, _what?"_

"Hold on _tight!"_

She did as he asked... and looked surprised when Adrien lifted himself off the bed into a standing position, Marinette still clinging to him tightly, his hands sliding underneath her to support her slight weight.

"Oh!" Marinette exclaimed, feeling him lowering her very slowly. "This is differ- _ahhhhhhh!"_

"I... can't do this for very long," Adrien grunted, helping her glide up and down in the tiniest of motions. Gravity helped ensure that each descent was as far as she could possibly go.

He felt Marinette shudder against him. "You won't _need to,"_ she gasped, closing her eyes tightly.

* * *

A small voice was heard from the hallway, not long after. "Are you all right in there?" it called out.

"Yeah," Adrien called back. "Just carrying Marinette to the shower, so she can get ready for work."

" _Carrying?"_

A tiny red blur came flying into the room. "Is she okay? Is she _hurt?_ " Tikki worried. "Do you need me to..."

Adrien glanced her way with a silent smile.

Hovering, Tikki took in the scene - the lovemaking having resumed yet again, a quivering Marinette being held aloft in that position, the intensity of the moment - and could do nothing but stare, slack-jawed.

"I... I didn't mean to..." Tikki managed, softly. "I don't know what to say."

"You're f-fine, Tikki," Marinette answered, her eyes slowly opening. "You just wanted to help. Nothing to get upset over."

"Still..." Tikki faltered. "I'm... uh... I'll just go."

Adrien watched Tikki flutter back out the way she came, while helping Marinette down to a sturdier standing position. "That seemed a little off, didn't it?" he asked.

"Y-yeah," managed Marinette. "No teasing, no witty remarks. More like she was... embarrassed?"

"Or something was bothering her about it, and she didn't want to say it," said Adrien. "I wonder what it is?"

Marinette stared at the door, briefly. "I'll talk with her later," she decided. "Something's definitely on her mind."

She took Adrien's hand and guided him towards the bathroom. "But, first..." she declared, "c'mere. We need that shower, and you need something else first."

"It doesn't have to be right now..." Adrien offered.

"Oh, I think it does," Marinette smiled. "You just made me _shudder!_ Now it's your turn. You didn't imagine that I'd ever want to leave you hanging, did you?"

As the bathroom door closed behind them, Adrien replied, "I... don't think that I'll turn that down."

"I didn't think so."

* * *

Not too long after, Adrien sat on a chair in the bedroom, letting Marinette have her turn at the mirror as she prepared for her workday.

She turned and saw him watching her, quite avidly. "What?" she grinned, pausing and turning in his direction.

"Just admiring someone beautiful," he purred.

"At least wait 'til I get my makeup finished," countered Marinette, turning back to the mirror and lightly dabbing at her face with a brush. "And I know what line comes next; 'Oh, you're so beautiful that you don't _need_ makeup.'"

"Honestly? I wasn't going there," Adrien declared. _Even if it is true._ "A life in the fashion industry's taught me a few things. One of them is that 'You look so good without makeup' often means 'You're very good at making your makeup look natural, like there isn't any there.'"

"They _have_ trained you well," Marinette smiled.

"I mean," said Adrien, standing up and walking towards her, "I _could_ argue that I've seen you first thing in the morning, before you've put anything on your face. When you're sound asleep, with your mouth hanging open just a little..."

"Careful," Marinette warned him, still smiling.

"The tiniest little snoring noises coming out of your-"

"All right," declared Marinette, whirling towards him again. "I do _not_ snore!"

"How do you know?" countered Adrien. "You're asleep when it happens."

That made her pause for a moment. "Tikki would have told me," she offered, sounding a little less convinced than before.

"And I've seen you in the shower, bare-faced and perfectly radiant. And I've seen you punching evil in the face a hundred times, sweaty, exhausted and angry and still the most beautiful girl I've ever seen," Adrien continued. "I _hardly_ think that when Ladybug prepares to go into action, she stops and applies some foundation and eyeliner first."

 _That_ earned him a kiss. "You're sweet," Marinette told him, blushing a little. "But you know that."

"I just tell the truth," grinned Adrien.

"Okay..." Marinette continued, finishing up her preparations quickly. "I'll be home around four... are you staying here today, or heading home?" she asked.

"I'll be heading out, I think," Adrien replied. "I have an... errand to run."

"That's fine. I just wanted to know if I'd be making dinner for one or for two," said Marinette, focused on the mirror once more. "Gail wanted to know if you'd be joining us tonight at her place."

"Sure. I'd like that."

"I usually go over around seven. You can be done what you're doing by then?" she asked.

"Definitely."

"I'll call you, then, and pick you up. She doesn't live far from here; I can walk there, but you certainly wouldn't want to." Adrien watched as Marinette ran through her mental checklist for the day, muttering to herself. "Okay. Morning'll be design work, I have the staff meeting at two... your father wanted to know what we'd found out through our experiment, so I guess that I'll call him at some point when I get home..."

"You don't have to do that. I'll tell him myself," Adrien noted.

"...You will?" asked Marinette, looking at him with some surprise. "When?"

"When I go and see him this morning."

* * *

The hairbrush went back to the dresser top.

"Adrien... are you sure?" Marinette asked him, slowly.

"You're not going to stop me," Adrien declared.

"I'm not going to try to," clarified Marinette. "But I'm going to ask you again, just to be sure. Are you sure that you want to go and face him alone today? For _that_ , I would gladly call out of work, or anything else you'd need."

"It's like I said last night, Marinette. It's time for me to stop running from him. You had the courage to go and face him, one-on-one... and now it's my turn," a solemn Adrien said. "And today, I have an advantage; I'm riding on what might be the biggest emotional high of my _life!_ And half of Paris, including my father, aren't too far behind on that."

"That's true. Though he _did_ seem more concerned than ecstatic about it when he spoke to me last night," mused Marinette. "He'd locked himself in a bathroom to keep Nathalie off of him - and him off of Nathalie."

"If we do manage to wake Mother up... I'm sure that she'd appreciate that," Adrien replied. "It's not that I'd never suspected that Nathalie was sweet on him, deep-down..."

"Either way, we are working together to try and revive her. We can go see her together today. That offer's still on the table," Marinette offered.

"I'll be fine. I promise," Adrien assured her, pulling her in for a hug. "This isn't Hawkmoth, the terror of Paris any more. This is a tired old man who's run out of options. He shoved me away once... but now he'll have to deal with me on my terms."

"All right," she replied. "But I'll be one text away if you need me. In costume or out. Are you taking any Kwamis with you?"

"No... I wouldn't do that to Nooroo. Besides, he's feeling remarkably mellow right now, and I'd like to keep him that way," explained Adrien. "And I don't want to hint to Father that we have access to more than Nooroo and Wayzz."

"That's smart," agreed Marinette.

"And you're going to be late for work if you're not careful," Adrien smiled, glancing at a nearby clock.

"And whose fault is _that_ , exactly?" Marinette accused him, giggling as she did.

* * *

The door of the office opened, as it had many times before. As Marinette stepped through, she saw Amy at her customary desk, grinning at her.

"H-hi," Amy called to her. "How was your morning?"

"Oh... above average," Marinette replied. "I guess I could put it that way."

"Join the club," Gail greeted her, walking in from the break room with a cup of coffee in her hand. "It's been an unforgettable twelve hours... wouldn't you say?"

"Y-yeah, it was," said Marinette.

There was a nervous energy in the air, with barely suppressed grins on all three faces.

"Are... we in trouble? We did all come in late, without any warning," ventured Marinette.

"No, we're not," Amy laughed. "Thomas called out for _the whole day_. Apparently, he and his partner felt particularly... inspired. Nearly half the company called out."

"So... as long as we get _most_ of today's work done, it's casual day," a relieved Marinette deduced.

"Precisely! Which leaves the three of us free to talk about just about _anything_ today," smiled Gail. "Now, I'm sure that Amy is more than ready to talk about, shall we say... _specifics_..."

"Oh, listen to Gail, like she's so prim and proper," mocked Amy. "She and I had a bet as to whether you'd be walking funny this morning."

"How... about you both keep your money?" Marinette blushed. "I'm walking, but I don't think I could dance; let's leave it at that."

"So... I will let Amy discuss the _drippier_ details with you. The blow-by-blow, as it were..."

That drew a loud guffaw from Amy, at which Gail rolled her eyes. "I walked into that one, yes. But what I want to know is something simpler. _How_ did you _know?"_ she wondered.

Marinette stared back, rooted to the spot.

"Know... _what_ , exactly?"

* * *

A small car pulled up in front of the Agreste Mansion, facing the closed gate that blocked off its private driveway.

 _Father's car had a remote-access function in it,_ Adrien thought. _This old clunker certainly doesn't._

He stepped out of the car, leaving it running, and approached a small numeric keypad mounted on the right-side pillar. Frowning, he stared intently at it for a moment.

 _This is likely pointless,_ he told himself, before pressing a series of keys anyway. The small red light on top remained red.

Adrien made a second attempt, then a third, with a similar lack of results. _Of course,_ he thought. _Father had that code changed at regular intervals, for security's sake; what were the odds that he'd have reused some of the last few passcodes that you remember from back then?_

_Hmmph. Maybe I will have to go around and use the general-purpose gate and doorbell after all. Like a stranger. I mean, I might as well be these days..._

_...Wait._

His fingers tried one more sequence... and the light turned green! Slowly, the gate yawned open, inviting the car inside.

 _I'll be damned,_ marveled Adrien.

A memory came back to him of his father showing him this very gate when he was much younger, in less complicated and far happier times.

* * *

"The main code will change monthly," his father had told him, "so I won't expect you to always remember the current one. But I will give you a little secret, just between you and me, hmmm?"

"What is it, Father?" an eager Adrien asked, staring up at him.

"Let me give you a boost."

Gabriel moved behind Adrien and lifted him about a foot, so that he could reach the keypad more easily. "I want you to punch in your birthdate. All eight digits of it... but _backwards_. And when you get to the last number... add two to it."

Adrien pondered that for a moment, thinking it out... then started pressing keys.

"The other way," Gabriel noted. "Start over. Do the year first, backwards... then the month... then the day, but when you turn the day backwards, then add two. Do you understand?"

"I think so."

Small fingers punched keys once more... and the light turned green. "I did it!" beamed Adrien.

"Now, you must never tell anyone about that code, Adrien. It will be our little secret, in case you are ever out playing and need to make a quick entrance this way. If people are chasing after you, for instance."

"Why would anyone be chasing me?" Adrien wondered, looking confused. "Would they be bad people?"

"No, that is not what I meant..." Gabriel smiled. "Pretend that you were a movie star, or a singer, and your fans were chasing you, and you wanted to be alone instead. Wouldn't you like a way to get away?"

"If they're nice, I'd rather be friends with them," the young boy replied. "And I don't think I'd ever want to be one of those things, anyway."

"Why not?" asked Gabriel. "What is it that you want to be when you grow up?"

"Just me. Adrien," he smiled back. "Isn't that enough?"

Gabriel took that in, then ruffled his son's hair playfully. "You are meant for bigger things than that, Adrien. But for today... yes, that is enough," he replied, warmly. "Let us go inside."

* * *

_I can't believe that still worked,_ Adrien exclaimed internally. _After all this time!_

_Did he forget that the backdoor code was still in there? I mean, he must've changed all the OTHER locks. Was this simply an oversight?_

_Or was it some kind of... hoping that I'd come back some day?_

The open gate beckoned as Adrien returned to the driver's seat. _One way to find out,_ he told himself. _In for a penny, in for a pound... and I'd better not dawdle too long, or it'll close again._

The car accelerated slightly, passing through the gate, which closed about ten seconds after Adrien had cleared it. With nervousness and determination warring for control, he pulled up beside the mansion and parked.

* * *

"You told us yesterday that you were _so sure_ that last night would be spectacular for you and Adrien. Passion, romance and emotion like never before, right?" Gail smiled. "Well, you certainly got that... and so did half of Paris, many times over!"

"I think that I'm still quivering," Amy sighed. "But I'm not complaining!"

"Oh, me neither," stammered Marinette. "But you're not saying that I had something to _do_ with that, do you?"

Gail blinked, surprised by that. "Well, of course not, Marinette. How could you have?" she asked.

"The news seemed to think that it might be Hawkmoth," added Amy. "He did funky things with emotions. Though nobody's heard from him in a long while, and he sent out monsters and villains, not orgasms. Maybe if he had, he would've fared a lot better back then!"

"...What do you mean by _that?_ " Marinette retorted.

"Well, Hawkmoth kept trying to punch and blast and claw his way through Ladybug and Chat Noir, right?" Amy explained. "And that never worked; they were too fast, too clever. But if he'd made them start thinking about clawing at _each other,_ instead..."

"They would _never_ have done that. Ever," blurted Marinette, a bit more defensively than called for. "Okay, maybe not _never_ , but they were way too young then! They were... uh... still figuring things out about themselves... let alone each other..."

She saw Gail and Amy staring at her, and backpedaled further. "I mean, I'm sure that's how it was! We all saw them back then. They looked like young teenagers, not lovers," she argued. "A friend of mine used to be Ladybug's number one fan; she ran the LadyBlog, so I saw tons of footage and news reports from that."

"If you say so," shrugged Amy. "Some people start early with dating and kissing and stuff. I know I did. I just always assumed that Ladybug and Chat were a couple; they _looked_ like one, so comfortable together."

"They... probably should have been," said Marinette, after a pause.

"Marinette?" said Gail, in a quiet voice. "I didn't mean to... uh... _imply_ anything about you _or_ Ladybug. I don't quite get how we seem to have landed there. What I meant was that the most unusual thing to happen in Paris for _years_ matched up with what you were talking about that morning... so I was just teasing you about being a little bit psychic, that's all! It was as if whoever was responsible heard you, and thought, 'Hmmm. That's quite an idea!'"

"Sheer coincidence. I can promise you that," Marinette replied, forcing a smile. "You just... surprised me, that's all."

" _So?"_ grinned Amy. "Do I get to hear juicy details of your super-inspirational night, or what?"

"Y-yes, you do!" declared Marinette, seeing an opportunity to shift the subject somewhat. "Okay, so Adrien came over around seven, in a suit and tie..."

* * *

Adrien walked up to the front door of the mansion and stood there in silence, pondering what to do next. Coming to a decision, he rang the doorbell and waited.

 _That ought to get their attention,_ he smiled, _if someone made it to the front door without passing through the main gate._

Sure enough, the doors swung open to reveal a mountain of flesh behind them. It looked down upon him with a fierce glare... then with recognition, and more wonder than anything else.

"Hi," Adrien greeted the Gorilla. "Yeah, it's me. Could you go get him, please?"

The Gorilla reached out and motioned Adrien inside; he stepped forward into the main hallway. As Adrien watched, the Gorilla's _What do I do now?_ brain section overclocked; he pondered a dozen options, finally motioning with one hand for Adrien to wait there and then running off in the direction of Gabriel's private office.

About a minute later, the sound of clicking heels announced that Adrien's father would not be the next to arrive.

"...Hello, Adrien," Nathalie told him as she approached, stopping a couple of meters away. "You look well."

"I am, thank you. And how are you?" he replied.

"I am... fine," she mumbled. "Well enough."

A long silence followed. _This is... awkward,_ Adrien mused. _The last time that we physically saw each other, she was threatening to kill me, and I nearly DID kill her._

"I am sure that you didn't drop by for a social call," Nathalie declared. "What do you need, then?"

"I need to speak with Father."

"...And?"

Adrien glared at Nathalie, feeling frustrated. "Do I need a better reason than that?" he snapped, keeping himself as calm as he could manage. "I have some news for him, and some small requests."

"He is in a video conference at the moment. Wait here," Nathalie directed him, spinning away towards the hallway from which she'd come.

 _Hmmph,_ Adrien snorted. _'Wait here.' Don't go wandering around your family home. Around what was YOUR home!_

It took a short while for anything else to happen... long enough that Adrien considered turning and leaving, or simply going upstairs to his old room to fetch the locket that he'd come for. But just before he acted on either of those notions, strong footsteps were heard.

Adrien steeled himself as he found himself staring into the face of his father, who studied him with an unemotional expression.

"Hello, Father," he began.

Another pause hung in the air.

* * *

"So," Gabriel intoned. "I see that my security protocols need some updating. Is this you coming before me now, hat-in-hand, prepared to apologize for your role in all that has happened?"

His father's presence was as imposing as ever. It had been an age since Adrien had felt quite so small... he had witnessed his father dismantling others with a simple sneer and a withering stare many times, but it stung badly to be on the receiving end of it himself.

 _No,_ Adrien told himself. _This is not going to happen this way._

 _"_ It is not," he countered. "This is me coming before you now, bearing some answers and needing some from you. I told myself that if I ever returned to this house, there was only one way I would do it... walking straight through the front door. So, here I am."

""We may be at an impasse... and may be forevermore," he added. "But things are too important right now for us to play games with each other."

Gabriel took that in, considering Adrien's words... and, finally, allowed a hint of a smile to emerge.

"Good," he declared. "It would not do for an Agreste to cower or concede lightly. My boy has become much more of a man, I see. Let me have a look at you."

Adrien stood his ground as Gabriel circled him at a slow pace. "Your time away seems to have suited you well," Gabriel noted. "You look very well, indeed. I assume that no youthful rebellion took place; unsightly tattoos, piercings, that manner of thing?"

"As it happens, no," Adrien confirmed. "Not that I came here for a formal inspection."

"Agreed. But you would also not come here lightly. Your lady-love sent you here, I take it?"

Adrien shook his head. "She knows that I am here, and one of the reasons I'm here involves her, but this was my own idea. She offered to join me, but I assured her that I could handle this on my own."

"All right. Walk with me, then," Gabriel motioned. "Let us go to my office and talk."

* * *

Sitting down in the chair facing his father's desk, Adrien had the uncanny sensation that he was auditioning to be part of his own family again.

"Firstly," Gabriel began. "I find it difficult to believe that I am saying this... but I must compliment you on your choice of partner. Miss Dupain-Cheng has been a _colossal_ thorn in my side in the past, as you are well aware... but always a noble opponent, worthy of respect. Meeting her face-to-face has raised her considerably in my esteem. Her courage in confronting me, the persuasiveness of her arguments, her capacity for compassion... all things that I find most admirable about her."

"She is a marvel, isn't she?" Adrien smiled.

"And clearly someone even more inspiring to yourself," said Gabriel. "If last night's lightshow was any indication, she brings emotional responses out of you that are simply off the charts." He paused before adding, "Did you bring our mutual purple friend, by the way?"

"Nooroo was most emphatic that he does not wish to see you again, in this or any other lifetime," replied Adrien, his smile fading. "I'm sure that you can understand why."

"I expected that, yes," Gabriel agreed, dismissively. "Had I known that his power level was so much greater with whatever type of stimuli the two of you provided... I do not want to ask what those were, do I?"

"Probably not," Adrien confirmed. "If I may be blunt... you used him as a tool. I asked him as a friend. That made quite a difference."

"Interesting," mused Gabriel, taking a sip of his coffee. "So, I ask you now what I asked Marinette last night. Did it _work?_ Did you find out anything that may be useful to your mother?"

"We did," said Adrien. "And I have three things that I need from you, Father, to help us move forward with that. We may have a path towards _attempting_ to save her, though the Kwamis stressed that this is still a very dangerous idea."

"I see," Gabriel replied. "Name them."

"Number one," Adrien said, "is that I will need access to my old belongings. There is a locket that Mother gave me when I was a young boy-"

"I know precisely the one," interrupted Gabriel. "Yes, you may visit your old room and collect it, and anything else there that you want or need. You will find it very familiar."

"...I meant to ask you about that," wondered Adrien. "My guess was that those things would be either dumpstered or in storage by now, and that room repurposed. Why did you never do that?"

Gabriel's face was stony. "Request number two," he said, flatly.

"All right," Adrien continued. "I would like your help obtaining _these_."

He passed a sheet of paper across the desk; Gabriel stared at it, blankly.

"I have absolutely no idea what any of these are," he declared.

"Nor do I, for the most part," replied Adrien. "My... former mentor... the one whose life you destroyed... was a Chinese herbalist, and his former Kwami knows of certain preparations that will be needed. The ingredients on this paper are what he's come up with so far. Some of them are common enough that I can track them down; some of them, Wayzz warned me that they would be rare and expensive."

"And, naturally, you have delegated the expensive ones to me to find and obtain," Gabriel sighed.

"For Mother's sake? _Yes!_ If these things can make a difference for Mother, under any other circumstances you would spare no expense to get them," insisted Adrien. "And... they may be out of my own budget."

Gabriel frowned at that, slightly. "Surely you have not burned through all of your savings already, have you?" he asked. "This isn't you simply looking for a handout?"

"After what happened between us... you froze bank accounts that were _mine_. Money I had earned working for _our_ company. You know exactly what little I had when I ran away," Adrien muttered. "I have done my best to find work since, to remain in the black whenever possible, and I have kept my head above water. But only just. Not enough to fund a multi-city scavenger hunt for obscure and pricy herbs and such."

"I waited for a long time, expecting you to turn up on some other house's fashion runway," mused Gabriel. "But you never did."

"I _expected,"_ retorted Adrien, "that if I had, you would've retaliated against whoever dared to employ me. Cutting off suppliers, blackballing whoever worked with them, reducing them to paste. You _are_ Gabriel Agreste, after all. I have seen you do as much over much smaller provocations; my applying anywhere in the industry would've been the kiss of death for them. And that kind of work was, frankly, what I was qualified to do... so I bounced around doing whatever else I could find."

"You... do have a point there," allowed Gabriel. "Allow me one moment."

He turned to his laptop and pounded away at it for a minute or two. Turning back to Adrien, he said, "Check your balance with Crédit Agricole after you leave. That should give you some operating funds to work with."

"Thank you," said Adrien, "though I didn't come here looking for that specifically, and I will need to stop by a branch and get a new card with them. I, uh, cut up the old one when it stopped working... And I'll repeat that a man of your influence and reach can certainly delegate the search better than I can."

"That's also fair," conceded Gabriel. "And what is your third request?"

Adrien swallowed hard.

"I need to see my mother. Just as she is... and as soon as I can."

* * *

Marinette spent the better part of her morning on the edge of her seat. Trading spicy stories with Gail and Amy was one thing; she wasn't _usually_ one to boink-and-tell, but even Gail was being unusually forthcoming about her own adventures under the Bliss Wave's influence. Talking about what had happened, as well, was a nice distraction away from talking about what _caused_ what had happened. Not that she expected Gail to fit all of the pieces together, naturally... but better safe than sorry.

What Adrien was doing across town was the foremost thing on her mind, instead. She let it go for a couple of hours before texting him.

 **[Marinette]** How's it going?

When he texted back:

 **[Adrien]** Can I call you?

She dashed outside for a quick one-on-one, in which Adrien brought her up-to-date as efficiently as he could.

"I was surprised at how reasonable he's being. I mean, we _are_ trying to help Mother, but... He's actually listening to me. He is going to work on our herbal shopping list, and he, um... gave me some operating cash to work with..." Adrien explained.

"He did?" Marinette marveled. "Enough to cover your rent for a while?"

"And then some," admitted Adrien. "I didn't ask him for it; he just did it, after I reminded him that the money was mine to begin with. We talked for a while about how I had been living since I ran off; he seemed taken aback that I was spending my time in _normal_ jobs and clothes and homes and such."

"Normal is below his standards, huh? He'd have a coronary if he saw my kitchen," Marinette smiled. "Not exactly where _haute cuisine_ is born."

"It's all I'd need. As long as you come with it."

"You're a darling, as always," Marinette told him. "Where are you now?"

"I'm up in my old room," said Adrien. "It's... I don't know quite how I feel about this."

"Not all good memories," suggested Marinette.

"Not even close. Though many of them were," Adrien replied. "I found the locket, so we're that far ahead. Father said that he didn't want to just go... downstairs with me while other people were out and about in the mansion; he has his secret to maintain. I held back from asking him how that never stopped him before. Anyway, I've got some time here to reminisce."

"If you need me... you call. I can be there in minutes," Marinette reminded him. "But I'm glad that it's been uneventful so far."

"Me, too," Adrien breathed. "Love you. I'll talk to you later."

"Love you, too," echoed Marinette.

* * *

As he looked around, Adrien's mixed emotions continued to swirl within him.

 _Look at all of this,_ he told himself, rifling through dresser drawers and shelves. _It really is like a time capsule. As if I could turn around and younger me would be sitting on the bed, staring at pictures of Ladybug, with Plagg over his shoulder saying something snarky._

He did turn, suppressing a small laugh at himself when the bed was, predictably, empty. The sheets looked fresh and turned-down; he ran a finger along a few nearby surfaces and found no dust.

_Someone's been taking care of all this, obviously. About the only change I can see is that they closed my end window... the one that I always kept open just a little bit, in case Ladybug decided to pay me a visit._

_If only I had known...!_

_Time away gave me a little perspective, though,_ he mused. _All this stuff... there are things here that I've missed, sure. I might come back for a couple of things; some of the clothes, if they'd still fit me, maybe some movies, a handful of keepsakes._

He opened a desk drawer and produced a small charm bracelet, given to him by a certain young woman a few years before. _THAT is coming with me now,_ he smiled. _But most of the rest of this..._ _I was the boy who had everything money could buy, but I don't NEED much of it any more. And I never really did then._

A small sound at the doorway drew his attention.

"He never had the heart," said Nathalie, watching him quietly. "He declared that he'd disowned you that night, but... well, you can see. He spent years contemplating what he'd lost."

"I can see that," Adrien replied, coolly.

Nathalie paused, then added, "You and I... there are some things that I need to say to you, I think. But I don't think that this is the right time and place.."

Adrien closed his eyes. In his mind's eye, he pictured the crazed villain closing in on him, threatening his life, threatening Marinette's, swearing that she'd tear his whole world apart with her bare hands... and then the quiet, uncertain woman in front of him now.

"You're right, on both counts," he said. "If I'm going to be a part of his life again... and that remains to be seen... we'll need to work some things out between us. We can simply coexist for now?"

Nathalie nodded.

"Then we'll figure out the rest some other time."

Adrien gave her a long look, remembering both good and bad moments with her. "I... am glad that I didn't hurt you," he said, very quietly. "More than I did, at least."

"I feel the same way," Nathalie echoed. "Anyway... your father is ready for you, if you are. Your mother awaits."

"I'll be right down. Thank you," he told her.

* * *

As Nathalie left, Adrien took in the weight of what he had just heard.

_Your mother awaits._

Part of him wanted to sprint down the stairs like a boy on Christmas morning, anticipating the gift of his dreams under the tree. Another part felt some lingering horror at seeing her in suspended animation, right before his eyes but frozen in time.

And both parts knew that the man responsible for all of it - the state that his mother was in, hiding her away for so many years, the life-and-death fights and the endangered bystanders and the pain caused to so many, the unwitting reason why he had gotten the unexpected gift that brought him and Marinette together, the years of piecing his life back together - was waiting downstairs.

It took some effort to get his legs to start moving... but move, they did.


	22. Tugging on the Heartstrings... Among Other Places

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In Gabriel's company, Adrien is reunited with his mother for the first time in several years. They share a long discussion of how she got there, how _they_ got there, and what could possibly come next for all concerned.
> 
> Meanwhile, Marinette arrives home from an abbreviated workday to find a somewhat distressed Tikki, and the two of them have a heart-to-heart talk about what's bothering her. The human-Kwami connection is a delicate thing... particularly when one side has nerves and organs and desires that were foreign to the other.
> 
> Both conversations end up in a pretty good place... though it's tough to say which is more awkward.

Delicate, Chapter 22

* * *

As Adrien entered his father's atelier, he saw his father standing motionless by the large portrait of his mother. A body language expert, had one been looking on at that moment, would have amused by both Agrestes; each of them appeared determined to project confidence and strength, but many subtle tells were there to suggest otherwise on both parts.

Adrien studied his father as he got closer to him. Their conversation so far this day had been civilized, at least... but what was to come next promised to be a wild card of Biblical proportions.

Gabriel nodded as Adrien joined him, standing by the portrait. "Did you find what you required upstairs?" he asked.

"I did," said Adrien. "As you had suggested... very little there had changed. And as I had suggested... that still surprises me."

"if you would like me to dispose of all of that," remarked Gabriel, "a charity auction could be arranged."

"That's not what I meant, and you know it," Adrien countered.

Gabriel paused before answering. "I am hopeful that the reasons for that will have more clarity in a few minutes," he parried. "Are you prepared for this?"

"...I am."

"Then follow my lead. I will show you the method of access, so that you will not need my assistance in future. I do, however, require your discretion as to how and when to use it," directed Gabriel. "I am sure that I do not need to explain myself there."

"You do not."

Hesitantly, Adrien touched the portrait where Gabriel directed him to, learning the sequence of button combinations. He let out a small gasp when the platform beneath their feet began descending rapidly.

"You get used to that," noted Gabriel, wryly. "But, yes, the drop can be a bit disconcerting at first."

* * *

The platform came to a stop, and a door opened up in front of the Agrestes. Adrien looked out with wonder and confusion at the chamber before him.

"Father," he managed, "you are telling me... that _this_ was beneath the mansion, all this time?"

"I am," said Gabriel, evenly.

"... _How?"_ asked Adrien, with obvious disbelief. "This wasn't here when the mansion was built, was it?"

"Some of it was," explained Gabriel. "This house is well over a hundred years old, as you well know. There were extensive wine cellars beneath it, and other storage areas for various goods. Barrels of spirits, sacks of grain, piles of wood in the old days, I imagine. I repurposed two of the larger ones as your mother's resting place and as Hawkmoth's lair."

"...What, did you have construction crews come down and remodel everything? This all looks very modern," puzzled Adrien. "And it's obvious that you had repair work done after... that night. Who did _that?_ "

"The majority of it... I did myself, with Nooroo's help; it was one of my first experiments with butterflies," Gabriel answered. "I had him give me the power to transform surroundings within a short distance, and used that to build a suitable hideaway for your mother. It transformed the hidden passageway to the stairs into something more modern, as well; the elevator platform that we just used. It was only afterwards that I created my lair, then revealed my darker purpose for it to Nooroo."

"And after things blew up?"

"A private construction crew," shrugged Gabriel. "I had Emilie moved somewhere else for the duration, of course, as I did not want questions regarding her. I passed this off to them as some sort of meditation area, and Emilie's chamber as an experimental medical treatment, somewhat akin to the hyperbaric chamber that Michael Jackson possessed. They were accustomed to rich people making bizarre and expensive requests. Their services cost a fortune... and their subsequent silence quite a bit more."

"There goes my college fund," quipped Adrien.

"Speaking of which," Gabriel wondered, "have you been keeping up with your studies in your absence? I would have hoped to have placed you by now in a university suitable for your standing, had events gone differently."

"I... have been doing many things," Adrien replied. "I've taken a couple of night courses at a small school near where I'm living, but I am not a full-timer. Once things happened and I ended up on my own... that was not much of an option. France's tuition fees are nominal, of course, but I was rarely staying in one place long enough to make it work."

"Such a waste," muttered Gabriel.

"I think that we can say that about a good many things in our lives," said Adrien, flatly.

"Touché," he replied.

Gabriel watched Adrien's eyes migrate to the far end of the room. "Go to her," he suggested to his son. "Don't be afraid."

* * *

With each step towards the protective chamber, Emilie's appearance became clearer and the pounding in Adrien's ears grew just a little bit louder. He suppressed the urge to break into a sprint.

Finally, he reached it and touched the glass panel on the front, very lightly, as if afraid that the slightest pressure would break it.

"The keypad next to it," said Gabriel, a few steps behind him. "Enter 1-2-6-1-5."

Adrien typed in the code, then gasped slightly when the capsule popped open. "You're _sure?"_ he asked.

"I am. I do the same thing myself, from time to time, when I cannot bear being apart from her any longer," his father answered. "Both my own experiences and Marinette's Kwami's examination are in agreement that no harm will come to her from this."

A shaking hand reached out towards Emilie's, not sure quite what to expect. When Adrien made contact, he jumped when he felt an unexpected warmth; not as warm as his own, perhaps, but certainly not the chill of the departed.

"Look closely," Gabriel directed him. "She is breathing, very, very slowly. She has not changed in any way since that fateful day. I have done many things of which I am not proud... but I would never send my son in blindly to view and touch his mother's corpse."

"She _is_ alive..." breathed Adrien. "I... I can't believe it."

"She sleeps," replied Gabriel. "So I am told. So I have dared to hope, all this time."

Gabriel stepped forward, moving next to Adrien.

"I... come down and talk to her, whenever I am able," he continued, with some atypical vulnerability in his voice. "I do not know if she can hear me, or what she makes of what she hears, if she does... but I will never be ready for a world in which she will not awaken someday."

Leaning in close, Adrien put his lips next to his mother's ears.

"I told myself that I wouldn't let myself cry," he whispered. "Not here, not now. Not in front of Father. But I promise you... I have, and I w-will. I've m-missed you so much... I love you so much... and I _swear_ that we'll find a way to b-bring you back."

He leaned in to hug her - still tentatively, of course - and then faced his father with raw emotion emanating from his every pore.

* * *

The door to Marinette's apartment opened, startling its small occupants. Audrey jumped off the couch and padded over to Marinette, hopping up onto her leg and begging to be picked up; Tikki fluttered in at a higher altitude, remaining out of Audrey's reach.

"Well, hello," Tikki greeted her. "You're home early today. Is everything all right?"

"Mostly," said Marinette, snuggling Audrey face-to-face before returning her to ground level. "The boss called out, and everyone else who came in was more than a little distracted... so we got some work done and decided to close the office for the day. Thomas told Amy that we'd all get paid for the full day."

"That's good," noted Tikki. "I take it that it was aftereffects of... you know what?"

"And then some," Marinette grinned. "None of us could stop talking about it! I mean, I kept out the _important_ parts... that we _caused_ it right here, and how... but the three of us there know more about each other's bedroom habits than we ever have before."

"Huh. Kiss and tell, hmmm?"

"We kind of left the kissing parts out of it," retorted Marinette, starting to turn pinker.

"I see," Tikki replied, turning away slightly. "Seems to be the topic of the day."

"Hey," Marinette interjected, watching Tikki carefully. "Are _you_ all right, Tikki?"

"Um... well, obviously, this is a very tricky situation... and I know how worried you must be about Adrien today," she evaded.

"Of course I am," said Marinette. "I can't imagine what Adrien is going through right now... but that's not what I asked you. You've seemed very quiet ever since what happened yesterday, and then when you looked in on us this morning..."

"I didn't mean to. I _didn't,"_ Tikki exclaimed.

"Tikki...?" Marinette wondered, moving so they were face-to-face. "You've seen me - us - like that before, several times. You know that it wouldn't bother me if you _had_ meant to," she replied, very gently. "There's something really bothering you. I've known you long enough that I can tell. What is it?"

"I don't want to trouble you. Not now..." begged Tikki, then stopped when she saw that Marinette wouldn't let that stop her. "...Okay, while we're alone like this. Can we go back in your bedroom and talk for a little while?"

"Of course we can."

* * *

Adrien stood silently, staring at his father, his face a bubbling mixture of pain and fury and so many questions.

Gabriel said nothing yet, but took two subtle steps backward to put some small space between them.

" _Four years_ ," Adrien hissed.

At Gabriel's silent nod, he continued. "It has been over _four years_ since I have seen my mother. Since I have known for sure whether she was _alive_ or _dead_! Without a single straight answer from you as to where she was, how she was, _why_ she was," Adrien barked. "You have no idea what that feels like, knowing that you were deliberately _hiding her_ from me."

"How was I supposed to respond to what happened?" Gabriel began.

"By telling me _what happened!"_ Adrien snapped, but stopped when Gabriel cut him off with a hand gesture.

"I have done many, many things of which I am not proud," stammered Gabriel. "Which is how your mother ended up in this state to begin with. It is a long and complicated story, and one for which I will always blame myself. But the _only_ path I saw to restore her was to sell my soul, to become a villainous caricature of myself, to wager my own future - and yours - on succeeding at - "

" _Stop_ ," Adrien howled. "Stop right there. _This_ is not about your being Hawkmoth! This is about your not trusting _your own son!_ You left me in the dark _on purpose_ about my own _mother._ "

"This was about not making my son _complicit_ in what I had to do. In crimes - in _atrocities_ that I anticipated committing." sighed Gabriel. "If I was caught... _when_ I was caught, which you and your lady friend nearly succeeded at many times... you needed to have plausible deniability. You needed to be separated from my actions entirely, lest you go down with me. How ironic, of course, that you turned out to be my primary pursuer."

"You didn't have to tell me about your _secret life_ to have the _common goddamned decency_ to tell me _half_ the truth. That I was sleeping a hundred meters over my mother's preserved body and I _had no idea_ she was there!"

Gabriel turned his eyes to the floor as Adrien's accusation continued. "We never knew _why_ you wanted the Wish so badly. That it was all about Mother. That you weren't trying to conquer the world or become a trillionaire or something. And we didn't _care!_ Our only concern was stopping you from hurting people," Adrien half-sobbed. "And even on that night, when you were dead-to-rights and I had you cornered, you didn't tell me until after I'd almost killed Mother for real."

"Events did not give me much of an opportunity that night, did they?" mused Gabriel, not meeting Adrien's stare. "We had started to discuss things when Nathalie intervened. Once she did, all I could do was watch what unfolded in horror."

"You did try to talk her down. I'll give you that much," said Adrien, far from placated otherwise.

"And, do be honest with me," Gabriel ventured, finally looking up. "If I had come clean with you from the beginning... if I had told you of your mother's magical accident, and that I possessed two totems of unimaginable power, and that I planned on using one to capture the only tools that could bring your mother back... would you have joined me, the peafowl by Hawkmoth's side? Would you at least have felt capable of remaining silent as I did what I needed to do?"

It was Adrien's turn to stare back in silence.

"Of course you would not have," his father answered for him. "You have a moral streak in you beyond anything that I have ever possessed. Your mother's influence, surely. At times I have wondered that, if she knew what I was forced to do to try and revive her, whether Emilie would _prefer_ to remain asleep."

With a pained look, Gabriel added, "But you do honor me by at least pretending that things could ever have been otherwise."

* * *

Slowly, rather reluctantly, Tikki relayed the sexuality conversation that she'd had with Nooroo during the Bliss Wave.

"I... don't know how else to explain it," admitted Tikki. "I certainly know what human sexuality _is._ How strongly humans crave expressing it, how satisfied they can be when it works well, how frustrated they are when it doesn't. I know the mechanics of it, and I've certainly teased you about it on many occasions."

"That's for sure," smiled Marinette. "And never in a bad way."

"But when that wave took off... that was the most intense sensation that I've _ever_ felt. _EVER,_ " Tikki shivered. "Nooroo explained to me that his magic enhanced that first big one; he thinks that you might've broken a record with how strong that one was! But even when you were cooling down, so to speak, and he said that the pulses we felt were more _normal_ waves of pleasure _..."_

"Uh-huh...?" Marinette replied, with wide eyes.

"I was completely overwhelmed, even by those."

TIkki landed on the bed, looking downcast. "Humans and Kwamis are very different. We're completely different species. As you've heard from us before, we simply don't have the parts, the right nerve endings... We don't reproduce sexually. Not at all, actually; it's just not how we're built," she explained. "Nooroo's been in other people's heads during... _that_ before. Wayzz said that he has, too. It had been centuries for either of them since their last time, but they at least recognized what they were feeling. But I've... I..."

"You've never _felt_ a human orgasm before," surmised Marinette. "I know that I've never had one as _Ladybug;_ only as myself. But none of your other hosts, across all of history...?"

Tikki shook her head. "Joan of Arc didn't date much," she smiled, sheepishly. "And some of the others did have romances, some husbands... but they didn't ever make love as Ladybug. The closest I'd ever come to... _that_... was your night when you rescued Adrien from that party house."

"I, uh... _did_ do that one thing as Ladybug, didn't I?" Marinette recalled. "But we talked about that right after I got home, didn't we? You assured me that it was no big deal, that you'd seen it all before."

"Let me put it this way. Adrien's... well... _output_ and where it went were certainly new to me, but the experience wasn't entirely unpleasant," mumbled Tikki. "More curiosity on my part than any kind of squeamishness. Now, the strong arousal that _you_ were feeling while you did it... the physical responses in your own body, the way that those nerves were still on fire from what came right before that, that sense of strong empowerment you felt while you were showing yourself to him... _those_ got my full attention. I'll admit that I kind of... tuned out some of that, because I wasn't sure how to handle it."

"That's right... while I'm Ladybug, you _can_ choose not to experience sensations and perceptions, right?" worried Marinette.

"Of course I can. Like, when you're fighting some giant broccoli-man and he's about to wallop you, sometimes I'll shut down those senses for a moment so that I won't get any painful feedback," Tikki assured her. "So if you are Ladybug and having fun with Adrien and something doesn't feel... well... _right_ to me, I can easily avoid it while it's happening."

"That's good. I would have to rethink everything if I was... you know... _forcing_ that kind of thing onto you."

"But that's the problem. You don't have sex as Ladybug, and I don't want to... um... I'm not going to _ask_ you to," Tikki stammered.

Marinette sensed a subtle ' _No matter how much I want to'_ behind that, but put that concept on hold in her brain for the moment. "Okay," she asked. "What's bothering you the most about that, then?"

"Two things."

* * *

"'What you were _forced_ to do' is stretching the truth a bit," Adrien frowned. "Won't you at least admit that?"

Gabriel bristled for a moment... but swallowed down the impulse to be snarky in return.

"Adrien... you will not believe me when I say this. I know how much that you do not believe it already," he began. "You have spent years of your life brawling in the streets with my creations, so you have every reason to carry certain preconceptions."

"Your victims, you mean," replied Adrien. "Innocent people that you corrupted. My friends. My friends' families. Marinette and her parents. A _baby!_ "

Gabriel smiled a small smile. "I am never going to hear the end of things about that toddler, am I?" he murmured. "I promise you that I did _not_ target him on purpose the first time, at least. And he came to no harm."

"But he could have! And other people did," Adrien argued. "Lots of lives were endangered. _Mine_ was; your Timebreaker literally erased me from history once, I'm told! The emotional scars on a lot of people don't fade easily, whether they were Akumatized or they were just bystanders. And, uh... you and I certainly punched each other in the face more than once."

"Well, I did not _know_ that it was you, did I?" countered Gabriel. "Look... I am not asking you for forgiveness of everything that I have done. I know what I am; I know what lines I have crossed. Both as the dreaded supervillain of Paris... and as a father," he said, with some hesitation. "What I wish to explain to you is _why._ You _know_ why, Adrien; at least, intellectually, you do, even if you disapprove of my methods. But I want you to turn around and look at her, please. Right now."

Adrien paused, but did as he was told.

"That woman... your mother... means everything to me. She has from the day that I met her," Gabriel declared. "As have you, from the day that we made you. I am well aware that over the last few years... it has not felt at all like that for you. Not in the slightest. I could spend years apologizing to you for that, and you know better than anyone how rarely my apologies are given. If we give each other the chance, however... I intend to prove that I am speaking the truth now."

Adrien watched his father's face contort somewhat, appearing somewhat shaken. "I love you, Adrien. And I love _her._ And I found myself in a position where _my mistakes_ left your mother like _this_ ," he continued, gesturing at her motionless form. "I left my wife without a future. I left my son without a mother. Those weights were on my shoulders. And I found myself knowing of only _one way_ of rectifying it... of giving you your life back, of giving your mother back to you... but having to destroy myself in the process."

"Do you think that I _wanted_ to be a villain? To risk lives, to break things, to take advantage of the vulnerable?" Gabriel asked. "Will I say that the power was not intoxicating, in and of itself? I will not. It was a rush beyond comparison. It was a creative challenge, working to craft the perfect scenario with which to defeat you and your lady-love. But I did not do it just for the thrill of it. I did it for _her -_ and for _you_."

Adrien shook his head, helplessly.

"As I said, I do not expect you to agree right away. But I do expect you to understand my perspective, somewhat," Gabriel challenged him. "I had the power to _do something_ about this. To take the Ladybug and Cat and _repair_ what I had broken. To repair _lives,_ including yours! To put our _family_ back together again... and to start over. No matter what it would cost me personally. If _you_ could take action right now and save her, if you could snap your fingers and watch her come back to us... if such an action was within your capabilities, and no one else's. Will you tell me now that you would sit idly by and do nothing?"

The question rang in Adrien's ears.

* * *

Tikki gave Marinette a sad smile.

"One of the things that's bothering me is that I've realized just how ignorant I've been about this," she explained. "I was sure that I was Little Miss Smarty-Kwami, all-knowing about the human condition. I've only watched your species _since it first came about_ , you know? I wasn't lying to you before; I really have seen every position, every combination, and every physical reaction from a distance. Some things that would send someone like you running..."

"I did walk in on Amy and Jacques that one time, with their... _equipment_ and all that," countered Marinette. "They don't sell brain bleach at the store."

"Trust me. Some of what I've seen made that look like children's entertainment," Tikki declared, making Marinette grimace a bit. "The human imagination can be boundless. I don't like to judge others, but I'm pleased to see that you and Adrien are playful and creative and generous with each other, without being, well..."

"...Obsessive?"

"That's a good word, yes," Tikki agreed. "But it's one thing for me to watch sexuality from the outside, and to understand that much about it; it's another for me to _know_ just how intense it is for you. How much of a primal urge it truly is."

"...I used to tease you about your hormones, back when we first knew each other. How desperate you were to be with Adrien... and I don't mean just for _sex_ ," she added. "I know that you weren't looking for that back then; you were both too young. But even the simpler thrills... kissing, touching, cuddling... I've underestimated all of that, badly! I realize that now. And I need to apologize to you for that... for then _and_ now."

"No, you don't," Marinette countered. "I mean, thank you for saying that... but I never took it personally then, and I never imagined that you'd feel badly about that now."

"And the other thing is... um... I almost don't want to say this," mumbled Tikki.

"Do you think that you can't trust me with _anything_ , after all this time?" Marinette encouraged her. "I won't laugh, I promise."

"You know what a phantom limb is, right?" Tikki offered. "Like, a person gets a leg blown off by a land mine, or an arm gets amputated due to cancer, or something like that. But they can still sense a limb being there even though there isn't one any more. The nerves react as if it was still there."

Marinette nodded, cautiously.

"Well... I think I'm... I'm trying to figure out how to say this," said Tikki, shyly. "I'm having phantom... sensations. Cravings. The biggest orgasm in the universe hit me like a freight train and I was completely unprepared for it, right? And then a bunch of smaller ones, but they were still... _wow!_ So now, I'm... uh..."

"You'd like to feel those sensations again sometime," answered Marinette. "Or something close to them."

" _Yes,_ " sighed Tikki, "and I"m completely incapable of doing it myself, or even with another Kwami! You have the parts; even when Adrien's not with you, you can, you know... at least _touch_ yourself when you feel the need. We're not physical like that! I could rub myself all over all day, or borrow that one gadget from your nightstand, and I still wouldn't feel anything like that! It's like an itch that I'm unable to scratch in any way. And it's _killing_ me to know that."

Marinette considered that for a moment.

"I can't say that I've never envied what _Kwamis_ can do," she noted. "That you can fly through the air, hover in place, float through walls... you can go wherever you want to, whenever you like. You're eternal, while our lives flit by so fast! How you can give such precious gifts to us humans through the Miraculous. It's kind of... sobering to hear that you're a little jealous of _us_ about something."

"I'll get over this. I know I will," Tikki said. "It'll just take time. But when I flew in on you and Adrien this morning, and you two were making love again, and you were so clearly in ecstasy at that moment..."

"You're not wrong about that, I'll admit," Marinette breathed. "That was a big one. I had no idea that he'd try that position... See? I'm still learning, too."

"...I saw the two of you doing that and I felt... very, very strange," admitted Tikki. "It wasn't that I wanted to have physical sex with you _or_ Adrien, you understand? I'm not trying to seduce either of you, and I couldn't even if I tried! But I saw that explosion of feelings and sensations and I... I needed to feel it, too, more than anything. It hit me like a tidal wave, and I didn't know how to explain it or turn it off... so I kind of apologized and ran away."

"Oh, my," worried Marinette. "That _is_ serious. I'm happy that you told me about it, Tikki... that explains so much."

"If you're sure," Tikki worried back. "I don't want this distracting you while you have more important things on your mind."

She watched as Marinette appeared to be deep in thought for a moment.

* * *

Adrien gave his father a rather sad look.

"Father," he replied, "you're not... _entirely_ wrong there, but you're forgetting something. Marinette and I _did_ have that power; the same power that you wrecked many lives trying to take from us. We could have tried to Wish my mother back to health, or that whatever had taken her from us had never happened, or all kinds of things that could've changed our history. But we never did."

"And you _know why_ _not_ ," he continued, as that sank in for Gabriel. "Because the universe requires balance. A Wish like that could've fixed things for us, but it would've broken them for someone else. Perhaps for one of us. Perhaps for someone we know. Perhaps for some random person who'd done nothing to deserve that kind of pain and suffering."

"And you _knew_ that."

Gabriel accepted that accusation, though not without some internal struggling. "Yes, I did," he confirmed. "Nooroo did his best to explain that to me, and to persuade me to give up that notion. But to save your mother's life? To spare her an eternity of solitude? To spare myself coming down here and staring at her, and having to tell myself again and again, 'You can do something about this... but you're not going to?' Yes, I would act. I would, and I did."

Adrien's voice was soft, and full of resignation. "And that is what separates us," he said. "And it always will."

 _"Look_ at her, Adrien," demanded Gabriel. _"Look_ at your mother. Turn around and look at her again, right now-"

"I've seen what I came here to see," Adrien replied. "Let's go back upstairs."

* * *

Back in the atelier, father and son faced each other, a palpable awkwardness filling the room.

"So. As far as moving forward with Marinette and Wayzz's plan... are we on the same page?" asked Adrien, quietly.

"We have an accord, yes," said Gabriel. "I have forwarded your list of herbs and whatnot to my staff for procurement. Some of them did not specify amounts..."

"...and neither had Wayzz," Adrien conceded. "From how he described these recipes, these won't be magic potions, like, 'Have her drink this and rub that on her forehead and she'll wake up' stuff. More like, these might be compounds that might be needed for a very long time, even if we _can_ awaken her. So, uh, I don't know what some of the ingredients might cost... but you may want to get some for now and be prepared to place a standing order for more."

"That sounds reasonable, if unpleasant," Gabriel agreed. "I will forward what I can obtain to you."

"To Marinette's apartment, please," corrected Adrien. "Obviously, you are aware of where _that_ is. I did give you my current address, but I don't know how much longer I'll be staying there... and she's the one who needs them more."

"I _hope_ ," sniffed Gabriel, "that the money I released to you will at least get you into a better neighborhood than where you're at _now."_

"I appreciate that, even though I'll say again that it was my money to begin with," Adrien grumbled. "And... I don't know what I'll be doing next. I'll certainly have enough money now to stay put, if I decide that my apartment's good enough for now. I don't want to burn my savings up on something bigger while I don't have steady employment."

"You _could_ come back here, though I suspect that you won't," offered Gabriel. "On a strictly professional level. Despite what differences exist between us, you were always an immaculate presence before the cameras, and I would compensate you well."

"I... will consider that," allowed Adrien, "though my first impulse is 'no.' I don't hold anything against the _company_ ; I know how there are so many good people working there."

 _I'm just not sure that you can ever be one of them,_ he thought, wincing as he did.

"...And if I was to look elsewhere? Some other fashion house?" he added.

"I would ask you to speak with me before signing anything," Gabriel declared. "Not... that I have the right to tell you 'yes' or 'no,' of course. But there are things that I know about almost every fashion house in Paris; whom to avoid, whom to contact first, which of them do business the right way and which cut corners. I would rather see you come home to Agreste, where you belong... but if that is not possible, I would not see you fail somewhere else."

"You're not just saying that so that you could lash out against whoever would dare let me model for them?" wondered Adrien. "Threaten them with hellfire and brimstone, should they hire me?"

Gabriel paused. "I can be vile and ruthless when I choose to be," he stated. "But you are not worthy of that treatment. And even with all that has come between us... you never have been."

Adrien managed a small smile at that. "I appreciate that. I really do," he said. "I will be in touch with you as to what comes next in Mother's treatments. It's been... good to see you again, and that you and the others are holding up well."

"Likewise," replied Gabriel. "...A question, though."

"Hmmm?"

"I know that you will return here soon, if for no other reason than to visit your mother. But if things do not go well for Emilie... if your experiments do not work," asked Gabriel, haltingly. "Will I see you again after that?"

Adrien paused, but only for a couple of seconds.

"I think that you will," he answered. "It might seem strange for Hawkmoth to have Ladybug and Chat Noir over for supper some night..."

Gabriel laughed aloud at the irony of that. "Indeed," he agreed.

"...but I won't say 'never' to that," Adrien added. "You and I may not ever be again what we used to be to each other... but you are still my father."

"And you will always be my son," replied Gabriel. "No matter what an old, heartbroken fool said in his charred bedroom one night."

They stared at each other, neither one sure what the other would do... until Gabriel extended his hand for a handshake, and Adrien accepted it.

* * *

Back at his car, Adrien sat down in the driver's seat, then closed the door...

...and sat, completely motionless, eyes closed for a good ten minutes before he felt capable of starting the engine.

* * *

 _You know_ _EXACTLY what you and Adrien could do to scratch Tikki's itch, so to speak,_ Marinette thought to herself. _The question is... how do YOU feel about that, much less how Adrien might?_

"Do... uh... any of the other Kwamis have these same kinds of cravings?" she asked Tikki. "You'd told me that the waves affected everyone in the Miracle Box, too... and we both know that Nooroo's been our most frequent voyeur. Though he and I have talked about that."

"Not that I know of... though I'd have to ask around to see what the others have to say. I know that Wayzz was very matter-of-fact about it, though obviously happy... the Zodiacs were all over the place... and Nooroo! My goodness... He was incoherent after the big blast, but once he recovered, he looked more relaxed and comfortable than I've seen him in _ages._ And Plagg thought that the whole thing was funny as could be."

"Hmmm," Marinette pondered. "That's good, actually... because we will need him soon. Do you think that his good mood will last when he sees Adrien again?"

"That's... hard to say," Tikki answered. "I've been talking with him about that, and now that he's free of that compulsion, he's not quite as bitter about Adrien... or at least he's calm enough to _think_ before he runs his mouth now. But Adrien will still want to pick his words carefully, and when it comes to Duusu... you might want to be there with him to talk about that."

"I think you're right," worried Marinette. "Do you think that it will come to that, asking _that_ of Plagg?"

"I certainly hope not."

"All right. Now, about your other issue... so, you're saying that this is just between the two of us, so to speak?"

Tikki nodded, affirmatively. She watched as an errant thought struck Marinette... and a smile crossed Marinette's face. "You don't have to think hard about that right away, I promise you. I'll be fine," Tikki assured her.

"Yeah... I had a small idea, but right now isn't when it'd happen," explained Marinette. "I am worried enough about Adrien that I'm not in that kind of mood... and, as you saw, I got my world rocked this morning, too! I'm kind of exhausted. _And_ I need to do some more thinking as to how _I_ would feel about trying it."

"What is it that you're thinking about?"" wondered Tikki, both curious and apprehensive.

"I'll let you know if I decide it's worth the try," winked Marinette. "As for now... how about this? Adrien and I will do our best to be discreet, and not... flaunt anything in front of you, if you'll do your best to hang in there while I figure out how I can help. Or how _we_ can help."

"We?" Tikki asked. "Please don't tell anyone else about this yet, okay? Not even Adrien. I'm kind of embarrassed that I brought it up at all."

"It'll be our secret for now, I promise."

A gentle knock at the front door heralded Adrien's arrival.

"But, for now..." Marinette whispered, then rushed over to meet him.


	23. Baring One's Past... And One's Face

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette pulls a weary Adrien inside and sits him down to discuss what had just happened with his father. The ramifications help set up what should be coming next... and set Adrien on a collision course with a long-awaited conversation with his former Kwami.
> 
> Afterwards, Marinette and Adrien attend the friendly get-together at Peter and Gail's apartment. All seems well; the friendly acquaintances seem well on their way to becoming a bit closer, wine flows in reasonable quantities, and laughter fills the room. One statement triggers a response, however, that proves quite illuminating -- perhaps just a bit too illuminating for one who is present.

Delicate, Chapter 23

* * *

Marinette threw open the door to her apartment and considered the weary young man standing in front of her.

"Hi," Adrien said, quietly. "I got your message that you were coming home early, so... I figured that I'd come here next."

"Absolutely," she replied, ushering him inside. "How did it go?"

"It had its moments," sighed Adrien, kicking his shoes off. "But I've seen my mother now. I've even touched her! She's _alive!_ That's the important thing."

Marinette guided him to her couch and sat down next to him. He slumped down, clearly emotionally exhausted, and began relaying the details of his trip downstairs.

"...She really didn't look that bad, all things considered," Adrien noted, "but inside, I'm still pretty shaky. You did prepare me for what I would be seeing, but, well... that's my _mother!_ Seeing _her_ like that just... threw me."

"Of course it did," Marinette assured him. "I'd only seen her in pictures... This is someone that you grew up with. Someone that you love so much."

Adrien looked down for a moment, feeling motion by his left hand. Audrey had hopped up on the couch next to him, nuzzled his arm, and was looking up at him with a curious expression, as if asking _Are you okay?_

"Someone else is worried about you, too," smiled Marinette.

"She's a sweetheart," Adrien agreed, scritching behind Audrey's ears. Audrey purred appreciatively, but continued to watch him carefully.

"Her hand was warm, when I touched it," he added, a little bit dreamily. "If she'd been cold... I don't know if I'd have any hope now, magic or no magic. But feeling that made a difference for me."

"You know that we'll do everything that we can," Marinette told him. "That goes without saying. Wayzz seemed at least hopeful, if we can prepare for it the way that he wants to. Did your father agree to try to gather those ingredients for us?"

"He did. He gave the list a few strange looks, but by the time I left, he said that he'd already assigned people to tracking them down," confirmed Adrien. "I told him to send whatever he finds here, so keep an eye on your mailbox or front door, I guess."

"I'm okay with that. I've never had any problems with packages disappearing here," smiled Marinette.

Audrey tapped her paw on Adrien's leg, very gently, then turned and stared at Marinette.

"I swear that cat can read my mind sometimes," chuckled Marinette, looking down at her. "Yes, Audrey, there is something else that I need to talk to Adrien about."

She turned soft eyes towards Adrien once more. "As far as you and your father went, and where the two of you stand now... how did that end up?"

* * *

Adrien took a deep breath.

"It's... complicated," he began.

Marinette nodded, but remained silent, indicating that he should continue at his own pace.

"We talked about a lot of things today. Where I'm living now. _How_ I'm living now. How I lived in that house for years without knowing my mother was _right beneath me._ What made him become Hawkmoth... and why. Why he thinks that I should have joined him. Why he knows that I never would've."

Adrien's tone was steady, and deliberately unemotional. "He told me that he loves me. Something that I hadn't heard from him since I was a little boy," he said, plainly. "That was new."

Two blue eyes widened rapidly.

"...Do you think that he meant that?" Marinette asked, after a pause.

"Does it matter?"

She bit back an " _Of course it does"_ that threatened to burst out of her, and looked down at her lap.

"Adrien... I am here for you, for as long as you want to talk about this. As long as it takes," Marinette ventured. "But you don't _have_ to talk about it now, if you don't want to. You've been through enough today."

"Marinette..."

Adrien reached across the couch, comforting her. "It's okay. I want to," he assured her. "And I appreciate your letting me vent."

She listened attentively as he described his father's manner. "He's full of contradictions, which seems unusual for him. Or at least it used to be," Adrien recalled. "He'll defend _why_ he acted as Hawkmoth to the end... but he seems remorseful about it, as well. It's hard to say whether that's because he knows how badly his being Hawkmoth hurt me... or that he got caught at it. Or that he just wants to keep me wanting to help him and Mother, and he's using the carrot now instead of the stick."

He shook his head. "As if anything could stop me from wanting to help _her_ ," he laughed, a bit bitterly. "He all but offered me a job at Agreste, modeling again. Can you believe that? Or to help me find a job with some other agency, if that's what I'd rather do."

"... _Is_ that what you'd rather do? I mean, modeling at all?" asked Marinette.

"I'm really not sure right now. I'll have to think it over some more," Adrien shrugged. "I've been away from modeling for a couple of years now, though it's not as if it's an extremely intricate skillset that I'd have to relearn from scratch." He struck a pose, giving Marinette a seductive look that made her laugh lightly, then resumed his previous demeanor. "You know me well enough to know that it's not what I ever pictured as a _career_... though it could certainly earn us some moving-forward money for the near future."

He watched as Marinette jumped a bit at his statement. "What?" he asked her.

"You said 'earn _us_ moving-forward money,'" Marinette managed.

"I know I did," said Adrien, with a smile.

Fourteen-year-old staring-at-an-offered-umbrella Marinette reemerged for a brief moment, until grown-up Marinette managed to punt her back down and reassert herself.

 _Gonna leave that one lying right where it landed for now!_ she told herself, her pulse accelerating. _It's not like we haven't both hinted at a future together... it's not like we don't KNOW... but for him to be that matter-of-fact about it, that certain that we're going to...? Ai-yi-yi!_

"Let's... focus this on you and him for now," she breathed, the smile on Adrien's face calling out that he knew that she knew what he'd meant, and that it'd struck home.

"And that's not so easy," he replied, his smile fading again. "He seems reasonable, he seems open to reconciliation, he seems... sad, more than anything else. He's a lonely old man staring at all the bridges that he's burned down, marooned all by himself on the island that he's made. And part of me wants to give him that chance to try to begin to redeem himself... to be my father again. And then he says something else, and I hear the Hawkmoth in his voice, and I'm just staring at him like, _How can I ever trust you again, for as long as I live?_ "

Adrien shook his head. "How can I be _certain_ that this isn't some kind of bizarre manipulation, that he's not gaslighting me, like he was for years of my life?" he lamented. "Or that he won't get what he wants and revert right back to being the ratbastard that he's been?"

Marinette frowned at that. Audrey flinched slightly as Adrien's tone grew harsher, but seemed to understand that he wasn't angry at her or at Marinette.

"We don't know that. We can't," agreed Marinette. "And that's for you to decide, whether he can have any place in your life going forward, but not tonight. I think that he's taken up enough of one day for you."

"Yeah," Adrien agreed, forcing a smile. "He drives me insane... but I won't let him live in my head rent-free."

* * *

The conversation continued for the better part of an hour, hashing out one point or another, discussing what could or should come next, as well as relating some of the gossip that had floated around Marinette's workspace that morning.

"I hope that you won't be too embarrassed if you come with me tonight to Gail's," Marinette apologized. "I'm not usually so forward with juicy details with them, but, well... it was bursting out of all three of us together."

"Oh, I'm pretty sure that I can manage. I know how lucky I am; I don't mind if they know, too," Adrien replied. "You didn't show off pictures, right?"

"Do we even _have_ pictures like that?" wondered Marinette. "And who took them, if we do?"

"I was kidding, sorry," smiled Adrien. "Of course we don't, unless the Kwamis know something that we don't. They may be unfilmable, but if you have an old-style camera, I bet that they could push a button on it."

"Speaking of Kwamis..." Marinette noted. "I may have a job for you, sometime very soon."

"Ah, you spoke with Tikki?" assumed Adrien. "What was bothering her?"

"That's... ah... not exactly what I meant."

Marinette squirmed a little bit where she sat. "I, uh... did speak with Tikki... but do you mind if I back-burner that for a little while?" she requested. "It's, how should I put this... something personal going on with Tikki, that I'm going to try to help her with. For now, she asked me to keep it in confidence between us."

"And it had to do with what she saw this morning?" Adrien frowned. "Why would that have bothered her?"

"She's not angry or upset with either of us, I promise. It's not just from what we did today. It's... a little hard to explain," replied Marinette. "Trust me, okay? I don't know if I'll need your help to get her feeling better, but if I do, you know that I'll reach out. I'll tell you more about it then."

"If you're sure," said Adrien, not looking quite convinced.

"I am," she answered. "What I was referring to... was someone else."

Adrien watched as Marinette retreated to her bedroom for a moment, then returned with a small black box in her hands.

"At least one of us needs to talk with Plagg, and soon," said Marinette. "Not right this minute; I'd rather have us think about how we want to approach this first, and you've already had a hard day. But we can't do what we want to do without his buy-in..."

"...and that means that I need to convince him to help me. And _them,_ " agreed Adrien, glumly.

"It's up to you," replied Marinette, in a quiet voice. "We can try to persuade him together when you're ready, if you'd rather."

"I can do this," Adrien declared. "I confronted Father today, didn't I? After that... talking down the eternal spirit of destruction ought to be easy."

"For what it's worth, Tikki thinks that he's starting to come around, and he's almost certainly not going to disintegrate you," Marinette smiled. "And he was in the path of the Bliss Wave just like everybody else, so he's probably pretty mellow right now."

"That might help."

Adrien picked the small box up and studied it, remembering the first time that he'd opened it, all those years ago.

"But for now... I have a get-together to get ready for," he decided. "So I'll stop at home and change, and then you said that later on, you'd pick me up and we'd go over in your car?"

"I was hoping that you'd still want to," said Marinette. "It should be a good tension-reliever, at least."

"After the morning that we had, I wouldn't say that I was _tense_ ," grinned Adrien. "But you're right. I could use a little more pleasant socializing than with Father and Nathalie."

* * *

A couple of hours later, Adrien stood in his own bedroom, carefully tucking away the black box in the rear corner of a dresser drawer.

Nooroo watched him from the bedpost. "Not taking him with you tonight?" he asked, knowingly.

"...I don't think so, no," said Adrien. "I don't expect a shouting match quite like the last time we met... but whatever's coming, I'm not inflicting it on a friendly party. You can come along, of course; just stay out of sight."

"I wish you luck with Plagg," Nooroo replied. "Not all wounds need be healed at once."

"If I can get his help one last time... that might be more than I deserve. But I'll take it," Adrien declared. "And if I can't... I'll see if Marinette can convince him."

"She can be very persuasive... but so can you, when your motives are pure," said Nooroo. "And yours almost always are."

"Thank you, I think," grinned Adrien.

"Oh, I meant it as a compliment, believe me. I have had many, many hosts over the ages, Adrien... but you are certainly one of my favorites. And not just for rescuing me that night," Nooroo smiled. "I can see why you and Plagg grew as close as you did; not many humans can crack through _his_ shell, but you did! And I can prove that."

"How?"

"By how heartbroken he was when that ended."

Adrien stared at Nooroo for a moment. "I don't think I want to go over that again right now," he said, softly.

"We don't have to. I'm just reminding you... there is a lot more history between you two than 'You betrayed him and he'll hate you forever,'" Nooroo noted. "If you want to talk it out with me before you talk with him, I'll be here."

"I appreciate that."

Gently, Adrien pushed the drawer shut.

"Another time," he decided. "Marinette should be here in a few minutes, anyway."

* * *

As Adrien walked towards an unfamiliar apartment complex with Marinette, he took some mental notes as to what he saw; its surrounding neighborhood, its age, its decor, among other things.

 _Affordable housing in Paris is such a struggle,_ he mused. _I like what Marinette's done with her apartment - certainly more than I've done with my own - but it's very much a starter kind of place, and I would love to see her have a bit more room to stretch out in!_

_And my own little hole-in-the-wall was all that I could manage on what I had left. I will want to upgrade to something a bit nicer, now that I can._

He turned and smiled at Marinette, who beamed back at him.

_Especially if I plan on a certain frequent visitor. Or, someday... something more than that._

Gail greeted them at the door and motioned them inside. "Welcome, you two! I'm glad that you could make it, Adrien," she said, sounding pleasant and sincere. "The others are in the living room."

From their hallway vantage point, they saw Peter wave to them, with Amy's grinning face popping up behind him. "Welcome aboard," Peter called. "It's hardly a mansion, but it's home."

"I haven't called a mansion home in many years," Adrien smiled back, "and this looks very good to me. It's certainly much nicer than where I've been staying lately."

Amy's face lit up in mock indignation. " _Marinette!_ Are you going to let him get away with talking like that?" she teased.

Marinette flinched momentarily... then burst into giggly laughter.

Adrien, however, didn't see the humor in it. "I... _did not mean_ it that way!" he backpedaled, rapidly. "Marinette, there's nothing at all wrong with your apartment..."

"You haven't moved in there _yet_ , Mister," she grinned. "And how often you've been staying there lately is between us."

The group joined the others in the living room, Marinette and Adrien settling together on a loveseat across from Amy and Jacques.

"What I _meant_ was... I just have a small studio apartment, over on the east side of the city," Adrien endeavored to explain. "Barely enough room for just _me_. Marinette jokes about how small her kitchen is, but I could hit my stove with a thrown tennis ball from my bed. I have to envy hers."

"For a young man, living alone in a city like this, that's not surprising," Peter noted. "Gail and I went in together on this place; alone, neither one of us could afford its rent."

"All the more reason why we try hard to stay in each other's good graces," Gail smirked. "Not that it's very hard to do."

Jacques nodded, agreeing with the general sentiment. "Amy and I have... thought about that sort of thing," he mused. "Talked about it sometimes. For now, we each still have our own little hideaway..."

"Yup," agreed Amy. "We kind of go back and forth. Sometimes I stay at his place, sometimes he stays at mine. For now."

"That's pretty much..." Adrien trailed off. "It's okay if I say that, right?"

"I think that we're rapidly running out of secrets about that," Marinette giggled.

"Okay," he continued. "I'm still showing up at my apartment enough to call it 'mine,' but... yes, I've been a gracious houseguest more often than not lately."

"It's not like I'm going to chase him out. He's..." began Marinette.

"Well, _duh,_ " Amy grinned.

"He's tidy. He does his own laundry," Marinette continued, undaunted. "Audrey's practically adopted him already. He's cooked dinner for me, and I don't need to tell anyone how good _that_ feels to come home to, right?"

"And it was even edible," ventured Adrien.

"Oh, of course it was," countered Marinette. "And it was delicious." She paused, then added with a grin, "And dessert was even better."

Adrien thought for a moment... then grinned as well. "It certainly was," he winked.

"What did you make for that?" asked Gail.

Studying the looks on their faces at that, she added, "Or perhaps I shouldn't ask that," to general laughter.

* * *

With the ice broken, conversation flowed quite naturally. A certain blissful topic of the day was being nudged aside by the group, at least for the moment; apart from that, Adrien seemed very much at ease with everyone, and they with him.

As it progressed, Marinette watched Adrien's socializing with adoring eyes. _It's not as if he hasn't always WANTED to be close with other people, to make friends easily,_ she thought. _He doesn't have his father holding him back that way any more, he's traveled halfway around the world, he has nothing to fear here... so why shouldn't he look comfortable like this?_

 _But that first night at my apartment, when he met all of them, there was a... novelty to that,_ reasoned Marinette. _Everyone was being polite, Adrien was the center of attention, they were all so curious about him... and he held himself back, just a little. I could tell, and even without knowing his other secrets... his HUGE secrets... that made sense. He barely knew the other couples; there was only so much that he'd feel comfortable talking about. Plus, Amy was all "Hello, I'm Amy, I used to want to mount you. But not any more. Unless...?"_

_Sometimes you don't really know if you click with people until you've been around them a few times. The first time was sort of an introduction. This time, we're just... BEING, right? Hanging out as a friendly group, just because we can, for no particular reason other than that. And it's up to Adrien whether or not he feels comfortable with that..._

_...and it sure looks like he does._

_This just feels right._

Adrien caught Marinette gazing at him and turned her way, once he'd finished his current thought with Jacques and Amy. "...What?" he smiled.

"Nothing," she replied, leaning her head on his shoulder lightly. "I'm just glad that you're having a good time. You had quite an afternoon to deal with."

"I did... but this is helping me relax, I promise," he told her. He turned back to the group and added, "...I had it out with my father today."

All remaining heads that were not turned his way... quickly did so.

* * *

"Oh, my," said Peter, quietly.

Gail touched his leg, very gently, to get his attention and silence him. "Adrien," she interjected, "do use your own judgment as to how much of that story you _want_ to tell. I mean, I'm sure that everyone here would be interested in what happened... but if you'd rather keep some family things private, that's fine, too."

"Honestly? There's not that much to tell, and I don't mind telling it. You don't seem at all like people that I'd need to hide things from," Adrien replied, with a smile. It didn't appear to Marinette to be a forced one. "There are some details that I'll skip, of course. But anyway..."

Adrien summarized his visit to his father's house as succinctly as he could; how he'd caught his father off-balance by turning up unexpectedly, how they'd had a long talk about what had happened in his absence, and how his father seemed more receptive to at least some reconciliation than Adrien had expected.

Marinette listened carefully to make sure that nothing slipped about about Adrien's or his father's past costumed hobbies, or about his mother and her current status, but heard nothing to worry about. _Not that that should surprise me,_ she smiled. _He's an old hand at secret identity stuff._

"It's not going to turn my life upside-down, I'm sure of that. I'm still wrapping my head around what I want to do about it," explained Adrien. "Like, I'm not going back to model for Agreste; there's too much water under the bridge for me to ever be comfortable doing _that_."

"Understandable... but that's still a shame," lamented Amy. "You were so good at it!"

"Thank you," he smiled, appreciatively. "But if Father _won't_ sue any company into the Stone Age that might dare to hire me in some capacity..."

"...That could open a lot of options for you," Jacques agreed. "Though... and I don't mean this to be rude at _all_ , the question just leaped into my head..."

"You're about to ask, 'What else _can_ you do for a fashion house, other than modeling?'" Adrien laughed. "And you shouldn't feel bad about that at all, Jacques! I'm asking myself the same question."

"Well, you know quite a bit about the inner workings of a major house, how the processes work, what goes into much of the decision-making, yes?" asked Gail. "Simply from being near your father and being its top model for several years. Your looks and charm certainly haven't faded with time, should you choose to do some light modeling somewhere instead of some position in logistics. You also have something of an eye for design, from what Marinette's told us. And you have a _very_ talented designer next to you right now... in case you wanted to offer some company a most attractive package deal."

"I wouldn't go _that_ far," mumbled Marinette, looking a bit startled as Adrien considered Gail's logic. "I'm not _bad_ at all at designing clothes, but... um... I don't have the resume to draw much attention anywhere important. I certainly wouldn't want to complicate Adrien's job hunt by throwing 'You'll have to hire his girlfriend, too' in there."

"Oh, that's between the two of you to decide, dear. I'm just saying... Amy and I would miss you a lot, but we both know that you were meant for somewhere bigger and brighter."

Amy nodded in agreement. "There's a new power couple in the Paris fashion world, just waiting for everybody to take notice," she declared.

Marinette went silent for a moment, turning a bit red. "You're very kind," she murmured. "But if I was going to make it somewhere, I'd want it to be for what I can do... not for who I'm with."

"And _I'll_ stress to you that it would be."

She looked up at Adrien, who was focused on her rather intently.

" _I_ know how talented you are at anything you set your mind on, Marinette. You always have been, long before you met me," he told her. "To make it in the fashion industry, you've got to be both lucky and good... and for a while there, the breaks didn't fall your way. Circumstances made you focus on other things, and that's _who you are_ ; you'll always drop everything to help someone else in need. You'll always put others first."

"It's a big reason why I fell in love with you, so long ago... even before I'd realized that I had," Adrien added, softly.

A small squeeing noise was heard from across the table, swiftly self-muffled by Amy.

"So, if I can help _your_ life get better... if I can shine a light on someone so amazing, so that other people can see that, too... there's nothing else that I'd rather do," he beamed. "Marinette, you know me. I've never wanted anything to just be handed to me, either. When I wore your derby hat on that runway that time, it wasn't because I was sweet on you... it was because you had earned it. And I know how much more that you're ready to earn! The world just needs to give you that chance."

Words failed Marinette, briefly.

"I believe you. I really do," she managed, feeling a rush of emotions sweeping through her. "But we'll talk about this later, okay?"

"Okay."

* * *

Slowly, they turned back towards the group. Amy seemed about to burst with joy, Jacques was giving them a gentle slow-clap, and Gail's face looked utterly satisfied as Peter rose to his feet, his hands held up in a posture of surrender.

"I give up," he laughed. "You two are far too adorable together for mortal man to bear! And I think that calls for a drink."

He walked toward the kitchen. "Glass of wine, everyone?" he called back as he reached the door. "Adrien, Jacques, can I get you anything different? Beer, something stronger?"

"Wine will be fine. Not too much, please," Adrien replied.

"Likewise," smiled Jacques. "Whatever everyone else is having."

Peter returned with a double handful of wineglasses, then doubled back to retrieve an open bottle. Marinette nursed hers very slowly and stopped at one, as did Jacques, reasoning that they would be driving before long, Adrien did much the same, but did accept an offered refill to be sociable.

About half an hour later, a bubbly Amy burst into giggles as she put her glass down on the table. "I just had a _wicked_ thought," she grinned. "If another Bliss Wave was to pass through town tonight... things aren't going to get _weird_ in here, are they?"

Marinette and Adrien froze in place, then stared at each other. Jacques gave Amy a "Really?" kind of look, while Gail burst out in laughter.

"I would _hope_ ," Gail managed, "that we would at least manage to pair off and stagger into separate rooms."

"Dibs on your kitchen," Jacques deadpanned, sending Amy into a fresh wave of giggles.

"I... really don't think that another wave is coming tonight," Marinette replied, forcing a smile. "That might've been a one-time thing."

"What makes you think so?" asked Peter. "I mean, it could well be. But we don't know yet where the first one came from, or how, or why."

"Well, whatever generated that must have been one _hell_ of a power source," Adrien noted. "That wave didn't affect one person... it charged up half the city, several times!"

"Akumas have been citywide before," Amy pointed out. "I still get teased about the time I became a kissing zombie. Did any of you get caught up in that?"

Adrien raised his hand, slowly. Marinette gave him a small, acknowledging nod, then replied, "I, uh... did a lot of running that day."

"Hee!" Amy laughed, brightly. "You should've come out to play! Adrien might've been the one to kiss you."

Marinette's face fell somewhat at that, which Adrien saw. "On the contrary... if she stayed out of reach, she was one of the smartest ones. Hawkmoth's creations didn't do any of his victims any good. And many good people suffered because of them," he pointed out.

Jacques sipped at his drink, then added, "Well, that is certainly true. But if this latest burst of superpowered craziness was his handiwork, that wonderful gift to the city... I almost have to say..."

He reached his glass out as if proposing a toast. "To Hawkm-," he began.

" _Don't_ do that."

* * *

Jacques's hand pulled back by reflex, as all heads turned Adrien's way. The clear flash of anger in Adrien's voice was unmistakable, as was a hint of menace flashing in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, _what?_ " Jacques mumbled.

"Adrien?" Marinette asked, quietly.

As quickly as it had arisen, Adrien's vehemence dissipated.

"I am _so sorry,_ Jacques," he sighed, closing his eyes. "You didn't deserve that kind of reaction. I must apologize."

"Adrien, are you all right?" Amy asked, her giggly mood fading abruptly.

"You're forgiven, I assure you," Jacques replied. "I didn't mean to offend you... however I did."

Gail studied Adrien with a discerning eye. "Adrien, if I'm not mistaken... you have something of a family history with Hawkmoth, don't you?" she asked.

Adrien whipped around to face her, turning pale. "What... do you mean by that?" he replied, haltingly.

"Wasn't your father Akumatized by him once?" Gail wondered. "I could swear that I saw that on the news, back in the day."

"You're right," Adrien agreed, seeing his way out of this train of thought. "He... did Akumatize my father once. And my bodyguard. And many of my friends."

"It felt as if the class we shared was cursed, somehow," Marinette jumped in. "He got nearly all of my friends at least once. He targeted me more than once. He got my father."

"Whoa," Peter gasped. "That's quite a history."

" _And,_ " Adrien emphasized, "for _whatever_ reason, he seemed to enjoy putting me in danger." His eyes flashed again, albeit at no one in particular this time, as he continued. "I got turned into a gold statue once by one of his villains. Nearly cut in half by another one. Nearly fell to my death off the side of a building because of a third."

"I still have nightmares about that sometimes," muttered Marinette, pitching it low enough for just Adrien to hear, she hoped. "I'm so sorry."

"Another one tried to shoot a train my class was on into outer space," Adrien growled. "After a while, it's kind of hard not to take it personally. Even _before_ I-"

At that, Marinette nudged him gently in the ribs, disguising her action as part of reaching for something on the table. "So _that's_ why that's a tough subject around the two of us," she interjected, smoothly. "We're not, like, traumatized by what we've been through... but we've been through quite a lot together."

Gail watched Marinette with curious eyes, then Adrien... her mental wheels clearly spinning.

Adrien turned to Jacques, looking apologetic once more. "But you would have had no way of knowing that. Again, I'm sorry for my overreaction," he stated.

"And, again, _I_ apologize. I meant no harm, and I know that you didn't, either," Jacques replied. "We're good?"

"Of course we are."

Adrien reached across for a firm handshake, and with that, the jovial mood began slowly returning to the room. Gail caught herself staring at Adrien and Marinette on a couple of occasions... but did her best to put an errant thought out of her mind.

* * *

When the hour grew late, the couples gathered up their coats and headed for their respective cars.

"I had a marvelous time, Gail, Peter. Thank you for having me," Adrien said, warmly. "And it was good to see the two of you again, too."

"The pleasure is all ours," Peter replied. "You're welcome to stop by any time."

"I feel like I'll have a million questions for you tomorrow, Marinette..." Amy declared, "but I'll shut up for now. Adrien, I'm so glad that you're becoming part of our little circle."

"How can I not?" Adrien smiled, aiming it at her and Jacques. "Good friends, good company, good conversation."

"I feel like I'll have... ah... never mind," Gail added, faltering slightly. "It was a wonderful evening. Next time, your place, right, Amy?"

"You betcha," grinned Amy.

Marinette watched Gail's face for a moment, curiously, before they left. Gail seemed back to normal now... but for just a second or two, then and a couple of other times that night, her facial expression had caught Marinette's attention. To Marinette's eye, it was as if she and Adrien were being studied, or perhaps looked upon with wonder... as if they were some sort of optical illusion that Gail had seen clearly for the first time.

* * *

Once everyone else had left, Peter turned to Gail, questioningly. "Is something wrong?" he wondered aloud. "You look like you're lost in thought."

"I'm fine," she replied, quickly.

"You're sure?" repeated Peter. "I thought that everything went very well. There was that one little flare-up with Adrien and Jacques, but they patched it up quickly, didn't they?"

"Oh, yes," Gail answered. "Yes, they did. I don't think there were any hard feelings there, and I couldn't really blame Adrien for... reacting the way he did."

"What do you mean by that?" Peter asked her.

 _Well..._ Gail thought to herself. _How do I put this into words?_

_Marinette is a remarkable young woman; there's never been any doubt of that, from the day that I met her. So talented, so forthright, so pure. And Adrien was quite correct; she's giving to others, almost to a fault. She focuses on everyone else far more than herself._

_She's young, slim and dark-haired. And she has a young blonde friend whom she was very close with, whom things burst quickly into romance with once they reconnected... and he has a FIERCE dislike of Hawkmoth. They both do, to be honest; Marinette just hides it a little better._

_And, good lord, they have plenty of reason to! It sounded as if Hawkmoth used Adrien and Marinette and their friends as punching bags back in the day._

_But... why THEM? Hawkmoth had an entire city to choose from. Why would his targets tend to circle around two ordinary teenagers?_

_Two ordinary kids. Who were right around the age of the people who put on masks and protected the city from him._

_A couple of years ago, Ladybug and Chat Noir and Hawkmoth all kind of disappeared at once. And Marinette told me that that's when Adrien disappeared from her life, too... right after something weird had happened at the Agreste mansion, an explosion that took out half the building. And no one ever came forward and explained what THAT was._

_And now, they're back together at last, and clearly falling deeply in love... and as if on schedule, all of Paris got drenched in an unexpected wave of positive emotional energy right after that happened. Centered right around where Marinette lives, from what the news had theorized. And she'd hinted that it might be "quite a night" ahead of her, hours before it happened. She hinted at things that she couldn't say out loud._

_Peter's right; they are completely adorable together, so meant for each other. A perfect partnership._

_But... could they POSSIBLY... have been partners all along?_

She shook off her train of thought.

"It's nothing serious, I promise," she told Peter. "I'm letting my imagination run away with me, just a little bit. They're both perfectly charming. I just have... a small question for Marinette, that's all."

_And I might be up all night wondering whether or not I dare ask it._

* * *

As they entered Marinette's car, Marinette turned to Adrien and asked, "How are you doing?"

"Pretty good, honestly," Adrien smiled. "I enjoyed myself. They're definitely people that I could see myself spending a lot of time with. As long as I didn't screw things up in there tonight..."

"How do you mean?"

"The thing with Jacques," he worried. "How I snapped at him. I did my best to apologize, but..."

"I don't think you have anything to worry about," Marinette consoled him. "He hit your sore spot by accident, and he had no idea that it would sting you that much. You apologized, he accepted it, he apologized, you accepted it. We all saw that."

"If you're sure."

"You know I am," insisted Marinette. "They really like you. All of them do."

"Good. The feeling is mutual," Adrien smiled.

"Now, as far as tonight goes... I can either drop you off at your apartment, or I can take you home with me," Marinette pointed out. "Either way is fine with me. You have had a _ridiculous_ day and I want you to be comfortable tonight, and to get some sleep."

"And I don't always get to sleep right away at your place," teased Adrien.

"Oh, tonight you probably would," sighed Marinette, pleasantly. "After everything we did yesterday and this morning?"

"Well, yeah. We could both use a little recharging time," he grinned. After a moment of thought, he ventured, "...You're _sure_ that you won't feel hurt if I go home tonight?"

"No, I won't. Why do you think that I would?" she asked.

"It's not like being in your arms _isn't_ one of the most relaxing places in the world," Adrien declared. "One of the few places where I truly find peace. But after everything with Father today, I kind of want to just lie in my own bed and put my thoughts in order... to try to make sense of things, and not have you worrying over me all night."

"I'll worry about you no matter where you are," Marinette chided him. "But I know that you'll have company there with Nooroo, if you need it. And you know where I live... and I can come running any time that you call."

They leaned in and shared a long, gentle kiss.

"All right, then." A pleased Marinette reached over and put her car into gear. "Let's get you home for now."


	24. Midnight Daydreams and Daytime Struggles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On her way home, Marinette admits to Tikki that as wonderful as reuniting with Adrien has been for her... she's feeling nervous about many things, too. The pressure of figuring out Emilie and Duusu's dilemma, the confrontation with Hawkmoth, the feeling that she and Adrien BOTH know that they're in this for the long run together... is it bad? No. But it is a lot to take in all at once for a young woman whose life felt much more normal two weeks ago.
> 
> A couple of phone calls help ease her mind; one sets up a pleasant talk with her mother tomorrow night, while the other makes sure that Adrien had a good night (and day). Despite her relative exhaustion, the right words from Adrien rev up Marinette's engine once again. What's a young woman to do, all alone in her bedroom with her imagination wandering?
> 
> ...Help solve her favorite Kwami's problem AND relax her mind and body, that's what.

Delicate, Chapter 24

* * *

On the way home from Adrien's, Tikki fluttered over and perched on the dashboard of Marinette's car.

"That was a nice evening," she said. "After everything that's happened lately, I think that both of you needed a little something like that."

"Y-yeah, we did," Marinette replied.

"...Are you all right?" asked Tikki, peering at her quizzically. "You look like you're feeling nervous. Are you worried about Adrien being alone tonight?"

"Not all that much," said Marinette. "Like I told him... he's _not_ alone tonight unless he wants to be. I can be there in minutes. He can come to my apartment if he wants; he's always welcome there. He has Nooroo to talk to. He's not just going to lie in bed and feel haunted tonight; I don't need to hover over him."

She paused and gathered her thoughts as she made a left turn. "If anything... he seems pretty certain about everything. About what he wants," she noted. "All of it."

Tikki took that in. "And you're not?" she wondered aloud.

Marinette's voice took on something of a strained tone...

"Everything is just moving so _quickly."_

* * *

Marinette pulled the car over and parked it, recognizing just how distracted she'd become.

" _Good_ things are moving quickly. And I'm not opposed to that! These are things that I think I want, too," she began. "But two weeks ago, I was an ordinary woman, working a regular job, having dinner with my parents once a week. I had my role as the Guardian, too, but that was mostly all in the background without Hawkmoth around, you know? It was..."

Her hands gestured in the air as she attempted to explain herself. "It wasn't an exciting life, or one with a lot of progress happening. But it was safe and secure and something that I was handling just fine... and then one crazy night happened."

Tikki nodded for her to continue.

"And now I'm in love again with the man I was meant to be with all along. I've offered to let him move in, he almost proposed to me, and I kind of said 'yes' to that," mused Marinette. "All the mysteries of my Ladybug years have crashed down on top of me. I've talked with Hawkmoth in his own lair, I've had the best sex of my life, I've caused a cosmic orgasm that had most of Paris quivering, I'm trying to heal Adrien's mother and rescue a hurt Kwami and Adrien's dressing me up in a magical wedding gown and talking about our future together and my friends are discussing a new career for me and I'm _babbling_ right now and I _can't help it!"_

Again, Tikki allowed Marinette to vent at her own pace.

"I'll figure it out as I go, because that's what I do. There's not much else that I can do, anyway," sighed Marinette. "I'm just feeling kind of overwhelmed with everything happening all at once."

"Are you going to talk with Adrien about his part of that?" asked Tikki. "He would want to know."

"I will. Just not tonight," Marinette replied. "He has enough on his mind right now. I'll miss him tonight, but part of me is glad that _I'm_ getting some time to myself to think about things." She smiled at Tikki and added, "See? You're not the only one feeling tense."

"That's not all that comforting," Tikki sighed. "It means that my little issue is just _adding_ to your problems."

"Don't worry about that, Tikki," Marinette comforted her. "In some ways, yours might be the easiest problem for me to fix."

"You really think so?"

"I do. I'll let you know when I'm ready to try what I have in mind."

* * *

The next morning seemed to be precisely what Marinette felt she needed... uneventful. The Bliss Wave's effects had faded sufficiently for most of Paris to resume normal operating hours and procedures, which included her office.

Amy was her typical bubbly self once more, sneaking in conversations with Marinette when she could about the previous night's party and what she'd like to do on her turn as host next week.

"I was _originally_ going to bust out the Paris edition of that one card game - Cards Against Hawkmoth, it's called - but I'm going to be tactful, instead," Amy suggested.

"It wouldn't offend me, and I promise you, I don't think that it would offend Adrien, either," Marinette replied. "Last night just caught him by surprise. In the car, he was asking me if I was sure that he hadn't hurt Jacques's feelings."

"That's good. Because Jacques asked me pretty much the same thing about him," smiled Amy. "No hard feelings either way. But how about _you?_ I had no _IDEA_ that you had such a history with Hawkmoth, Marinette!"

"Oh... I was just lucky, I guess," Marinette smiled, softly.

At that, Gail jumped slightly in her seat, but remained focused on the design on her monitor.

"Is everything all right?" Marinette called to her. "You looked like we startled you."

"N-no!" Gail replied, turning their way briefly. "You're fine. I mean, I'm fine. Nothing at all unusual."

Amy and Marinette shared a questioning look at her response, but left it at that for now.

* * *

Later that evening, Marinette reached for her phone. _Two things that I ought to do before I go to bed,_ she reasoned.

Call number one was to a very familiar number.

"Hello, Marinette!" Sabine beamed. "How are things going over there?"

"Pretty well. I'm just checking on you two, hoping that you're doing all right, too," Marinette replied. "Everything normal around the house?"

"I suppose so. It's been a quiet day here," her mother said. "We did get caught up in that, what are they calling it... Bliss Wave the other day; that was some excitement! Did, ah, you and Adrien experience any of that?"

"Yyyyyyyes," admitted Marinette. "But if I don't tell you about my bedroom, you won't tell me about yours, right?"

"Of course. Too much information leads to frightening mental pictures, as usual," winked Sabine. "All I'll say is that I'll wager that neither of us has any complaints."

"Good to hear. I think," Marinette grinned. "Listen... would you mind if I stopped over for a little while tomorrow night, after work?"

"You're always welcome here, naturally," Sabine answered. "What's up?"

"I just had something that I needed to ask you," Marinette ventured. "Nothing too bad, I promise. Nothing too _good_ , either."

"Do you know what sends a mother's heart soaring more than anything else? Hearing that her grown daughter still wants her advice," cackled Sabine. "Stop by any time. Are you bringing Adrien?"

"I wasn't going to," Marinette wavered. "He's kind of what my question is about. And I can see your curious look from here... it's nothing to lose sleep over, honest. I just... want to be sure that I'm reacting to some things the right way."

"Just let us know tomorrow how many extra plates to set for supper," Sabine smiled. "See you then!"

 _That's settled,_ thought Marinette. _And now, the other call..._

* * *

"Hello, gorgeous," Adrien answered.

"Hello, handsome," grinned Marinette. "Just checking to see how you're making out. How was your day?"

"Not too bad," said Adrien. "I did sleep pretty well last night, which surprised even me. I let Nooroo rest, too - he didn't need to hear me ramble on about Father again - and I went out wandering today."

"Anywhere fun?"

"Kind of. I scouted out the Rue Saint Honoré for the fun of it... seeing who was still working around there that I'd recognize," Adrien replied. "Some familiar faces were there."

Marinette smiled at that, knowing the large number of major fashion houses found on that avenue.

"I threw on some sunglasses and went incognito. I don't think that anyone recognized me," he continued. "If I go back that way more seriously, I'll dress accordingly."

"If you decide to look for a job around there, let me know if there's any way that I can help you," offered Marinette. "Not that anyone near there has a clue who _I_ am, of course. But I can look over your resume, for instance."

"Huh," Adrien mused. "That's right... Remind me to make one of those."

"Seriously?"

Adrien shrugged at Marinette's surprise. "Oh, I know what that is and why it's important, don't get me wrong. I've just never needed one before," he explained. "With Father, I was simply expected to be there. When I was on the move, the jobs that I took were more walk-up kinds of things. 'Hey, do you need an extra pair of hands?' Fancy, they weren't."

"We _will_ work on that together," Marinette declared.

"Plagg is still in my dresser drawer, with his box closed. I may try talking with him tomorrow," Adrien added.

"You do that when _you're_ ready," insisted Marinette. "I won't rush you if you're not sure yet."

"I will." Adrien paused, then asked, "And how well did you sleep last night?"

Marinette paused as well. "Decently... but a little lonely," she admitted. "You're kind of addictive that way."

"The feeling is mutual," he agreed. "Though I could fix that easily enough. Just listen for the *TH-BMMP* on your roof."

"Which would scare the hell out of my upstairs neighbors," grinned Marinette.

"Oh, for the old days, when a black cat could simply slip through a balcony hatch and find an innocent young woman to seduce... as if he'd have had the nerve then."

"Or when a young man left his bedroom window open at night, _hoping_ to be seduced by a scarlet intruder," Marinette laughed. "As if _she'd_ have had the nerve. How our lives might've been different if either of us had!"

"You'd have thrown me out on my ear, I'm sure," Adrien declared.

"Back then? Probably." Marinette let that hang in the air for a moment... letting it register that her answer wasn't "Definitely." "But now, all you have to do is knock on my door."

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather that I use your bedroom window tonight, and... just slip inside?" teased Adrien, letting his double entendre resonate as well. "Nooroo wouldn't mind. I could be there in five minutes... or in five hours, while you're sleeping..."

"Or we could make a date of it tomorrow," suggested Marinette, "and get some sleep tonight. I have an errand to run at my parents' house after work, but after that I'll be free."

"Sounds wonderful. Sweet dreams, then."

"You, too!"

* * *

Hanging up, Marinette flopped back onto her bed, pleasantly frustrated.

 _You'd think that after the week I've been having, I wouldn't have enough energy to even THINK about anything physical right now. But he knows just the right buttons to push... literally and metaphorically,_ she grinned. _'I could climb through your bedroom window, and... just slip inside,' indeed... Nnnnngh! Now I'm all revved up inside, and Adrien really IS just two words and five minutes away. Or more like ten, if I do it the normal way and just drive there!_

_I could just try and get some sleep... though I don't think that my brain will let me right now. I could go in the other room and fiddle with that one dress design for a little while, I guess._

_Or..._

An errant thought floated through Marinette's mind, making her smile.

_Or I could be a grown-up tonight, and take care of my jitters on my own. And maybe help solve Tikki's problem at the same time!_

_And something that Adrien said could even help me with that..._

_Now... do I really want to do this right now?_

* * *

Marinette paused, briefly, considering whether what she had in her current thoughts was a good idea. It seemed that way... but there would be no uncrossing of this line, either.

 _If there's a better tension-reliever than that, I don't know what it_ is, she smiled to herself. _It's not like my sex life hasn't been on fire these last two weeks... I'm not feeling like I NEED to do this... but I think that I want to. It'll help me relax, and Tikki too, I hope._

Coming to a decision, she closed her bedroom door tightly - _interruptions would simply not do for this; sorry, Audrey_ , she thought - and sat down on her bed.

"Tikki?" she called. "Would you come in here, please?"

It only took a moment for Tikki to flutter to her side. "Hi," she said. "What is it?"

"There's something that I want to try tonight. Something that might do both of us some good," Marinette replied. "I think that it's the right time for it, but I wanted to talk about it with you first, because I'll need your help."

"I'll be happy to help, whatever it is," Tikki told her. "What do you want to do?"

"I want to help you scratch your itch."

Tikki stared back, wide-eyed. "You're... sure?" she managed.

"I think so. But let's make sure that we're on the same page about it first, okay?"

"O-okay."

* * *

"All right. Some ground rules," Marinette smiled. "First off... all of the other Kwamis are in the Miracle Box, or with Adrien. What happens tonight stays between you and me, okay?"

"Of c-course it will," Tikki stammered. "If you want it to."

"It's not like I'll be doing anything that I'm ashamed of, or that you should be," explained Marinette. "I'm not planning on feeling you up, or anything _weird_ like that; this would be more indirect. I'm only doing this because you told me about the problem you're having, and because you and I have been close for a _very_ long time. I don't want all the other Kwamis lining up and waiting for _their_ turn. If this happens tonight, this is just between us."

"That makes sense."

"And what I'll be doing... isn't just to get you off, so to speak. This is tension relief for me, too... _and_ this is valuable information about humans that you would benefit from knowing more about. Some of this is _for science_ ," Marinette giggled.

"I don't know if I've ever felt more curious," Tikki replied. "Just what do you have in mind, Marinette? I think I have an idea, but..."

"Let's start with this. You can modify my costume any way that I can imagine, right? Within reason, at least," asked Marinette. "And then change it back afterwards."

"That's no problem, yes," Tikki agreed. "It'll be the default one each time unless you request otherwise."

"You kind of _are_ the costume, in a way," pondered Marinette. "But not all of me is covered up. When you're paying close attention, you can see what I see, hear what I hear, feel what I feel. Does it feel different to you if something touches the costume, as compared to, let's say, my uncovered face?"

Tikki thought about that, briefly. "It's pretty similar, to be honest. When you're transformed, we're one combined being in most of the ways that count."

"That's good. That'll help quite a bit," Marinette noted. "How about what I'm thinking, or what I'm imagining? Can you access that while I'm transformed?"

There was another short pause.

"It depends," answered Tikki. "The stronger the connection that I have with my host, the more that I can borrow from their minds... and you and I are as close as I've ever been with any host. It takes a lot of concentration for me, and it's never _easy_... but the more vivid the thoughts are on your side, the easier it is for me to pick them up and to visualize them or hear them myself. And I will be paying _very_ close attention, and if you'll be actively sharing and leaving yourself wide open... that also helps."

"Also useful," said Marinette. "Last question. Would you _want to_ try out something different tonight? Are you in that kind of mood, I mean?"

"Only if you are. I mean, we don't _have_ to... we wouldn't ever have to... unless whatever this is, it's something that _you_ want to do," Tikki worried. "I'm not asking for you to do this right this minute... it doesn't have to happen at all, if you'd be uncomfortable. But if _you_ _'re_ up for it..."

"It's okay, Tikki. You can say it," Marinette smiled.

"I'm g-game if you're game."

"All right... before I change my mind about this. Tikki... _spots on!"_

* * *

A white flash filled Marinette's bedroom for an instant.

When it faded, Ladybug was there... but in a very different version of her costume, one that appeared extremely thin and almost completely translucent. Her normal costume was clingy, but this took that to a whole new level! It was as if Marinette had been coated in trace amounts of Ladybug-themed body paint, or perhaps form-fitting plastic wrap with a faint red-and-spotted design.

She ran her fingers across her abdomen, very lightly, then allowed her fingers to trail upwards all the way to her face.

"Spots off," she called out, returning to her normal self. When Tikki reappeared, she asked her, "How did that feel to you? Was that more sensitive than usual?"

She grinned, seeing the startled expression on Tikki's face. "I'll take that as a yes," Marinette ventured.

"That was... intense, yes," Tikki breathed. "I felt the contact like I usually do... but with the costume being that thin, it was as if there was nothing there at all! The warmth of your fingertips, the ticklish sensations as they moved, the feeling of anticipation... all of it! And I felt that it was more sensitive than _you'd_ anticipated, too."

"That's what I was hoping for," smiled Marinette. "As little difference as possible from my being naked. Touching my covered belly felt the same to you as my uncovered face?"

"I think so, yes. Or close enough that I could barely tell the difference," Tikki smiled back. "it's kind of... like, it's more intense one way because the costume's there and it's connected to me, but it's a little more intense for _you_ where there's nothing at all, and I can feel that, too."

"Well, you haven't felt _anything_ yet," Marinette winked. "Spots on."

Once again, a barely-clad Ladybug appeared. She padded over to her radio, turned on some soft music, turned off the lights and laid down on her bed.

"Tikki... I'm sure that you can hear me now," she said, quietly. "If you get uncomfortable with this, if it doesn't feel right for you, you can tune me out at any time and I won't feel bad about it at all. What I'm going to do now is... well... when I'm by myself and I'm in this mood, I like to do things very slowly, very gently, and let everything build up naturally until I can't wait any longer. Lots of people do this - almost everyone, really, as far as I know - and there are many different ways in which we do it. Sometimes with our hands, sometimes with toys... you've seen one of those in my nightstand, I'm sure... anything that produces a good rhythm and hits the right places. I've used the water from the shower head in my bathroom a few times, for instance."

"And I like to have a fantasy in my head while I'm doing it; most people like to do it that way. I assume so, anyway; it's usually a very private thing. But that's what I've read," smiled Ladybug. "I'm going to close my eyes and imagine a scene where certain things are happening, and I hope that you can picture it with me. That way, you'll understand the effects that those daydreams have on the process."

Ladybug took a deep breath.

"Sometimes, when people do this, they fantasize about unusual things that they might not _want_ to do in real life. A person, or a situation, or a time and place that's normally not a thing. Maybe someone that is off limits, you know? A celebrity, like a movie star or a singer... or someone whom we know is taken, or would be inappropriate. I don't even want to think about how many people used to think about _me!_ Or doing things that we wouldn't do in real life, because they're risky - like doing it somewhere where we could get caught, maybe? Or playing a role that we'd be nervous about trying for real. Or just giving up control entirely for a little while. Like, I'll admit... "

 _Am I really admitting this?_ Ladybug giggled to herself. "The way that I found Adrien that one night? I've fantasized about that kind of situation before. But... it wasn't always with me looking down on him. Sometimes it was; other times, I was the one helpless and tingling. I'd never actually _done_ anything like that until the night that I found him, though."

"So... if what you see or hear surprises you, don't take it too seriously, is what I'm saying. Sometimes what I dream about _are_ real things, real memories, anticipation of things that I hope _will_ happen! Other times, it's a way of letting inhibitions loose safely and feeling wild, but just in my imagination. It's a pretty common kind of thing."

"Anyway... The one that I'll be imagining tonight is pretty tame. And, well... _now_ , it could happen, but it was just a silly fantasy for a long time! Picturing it got me through a lot of lonely nights, though, so... I hope that you enjoy it."

With that said... Ladybug closed her eyes. In her mind's eye, she imagined...

* * *

Marinette stood on her balcony at her parents' house. She felt a little younger than she was now... not so young as to be worrisome about what might follow, but perhaps just the slightest nudge over the threshold of adulthood, just on the edge of moving out on her own.

It was a warm night; the stars were out and twinkling brightly, not a cloud was in the sky to block her view, and the gentle breeze felt good against her face. She wore pajamas, a pale pink set with white lace, as if she'd been lying in bed and been summoned up to her balcony by nature to enjoy the scene.

It was late, probably after midnight. In her dream, she sensed that her parents had gone somewhere, perhaps on a short vacation; for whatever reason, she had the house to herself.

A familiar *TH-BMMP* sound behind her caught her off-guard - _At THIS time of night?_ \- and she whirled around to face a handsome young man in a black leather costume. He seemed quite pleased to see her... but there was something different about his smile this time that she couldn't quite place.

"Hello there, Kitty," she greeted him. "I'm surprised to see you at this time of night! What's on your mind?"

"I finally found you, my Lady. After all these years," Chat Noir grinned.

"Wh-what?" she gasped. "Chat... I don't know what you mean."

"I _know_ ," he intoned, and somehow she knew that it was true just from the way that he said it. "Marinette... I know your secret. That you've been by my side all along, my angel in red, the girl that I've loved so much. You wouldn't lie about that to me _now,_ would you?"

A million thoughts and counterpoints and arguments flashed through her mind... but they all fell flat. She shuddered, slightly.

"No... I suppose that I can't," she sighed. "Chat Noir... you're right. I am Ladybug. I have been Ladybug all this time."

Admitting that was anything but easy for her... yet, somehow, once the words had passed her lips, she felt relieved, as if a huge burden had fallen off her shoulders.

 _I know that he still loves me. My other self, at least,_ Marinette thought. _He deserves to know, and I don't know how he figured it out... but part of me is glad that he did. No more hiding._

_But how is he going to feel about me now...?_

"Good," smiled Chat. His manner was direct, but also gentle as he approached her. "That helps explain something that I have felt for a very, very long time."

"What is that?" asked Marinette, her hair flowing gently in the evening breeze.

"Marinette... I have been coming to visit you for years now, just like this," he murmured. "And I have found myself falling in love with you, a little more every time that we're together."

Her eyes widened with surprise as he continued. "I told myself that I didn't know what was getting into me," Chat sighed. "That I must be true to my massive crush on Ladybug. Ladybug was whom I loved, I was sure of it... But every moment that I spent with you, every time I saw your smile, I heard your voice... I couldn't help it. You have my heart, without even trying."

Marinette swallowed hard. "Chat... I never told you that I wanted that from you. But that doesn't mean that, deep down, part of me wasn't _trying,"_ she replied, her voice shaking. "I held myself back for so many years, because... well... we were just kids then."

Chat moved in close. "We're grown-up now, Marinette," he whispered. "We've been waiting such a long time for this."

"Yes... we are. And, tonight... you don't have to wait any longer."

As one, they moved together into a perfect kiss...

Chat picked Marinette up off her feet, carrying her with one arm as he opened the hatch to her bedroom. The kissing continued as they descended to her comfortable bed.

* * *

As Chat began to seduce Marinette in her dream, his hands and mouth wandering all over her neck and upper body... Ladybug's hands wandered in a similar fashion, touching where her Dream Chat touched her, caressing herself very lightly for now.

* * *

"I can transform to my real self, if you like," Chat whispered to Marinette.

"You don't have to do that. Not yet," Marinette told him, breathily. "I know that I love the man under the mask... but I love the masked man just as much."

"I need to make love to you, Marinette. Right here, right _now."_

She stared into green cat-eyes, judging his sincerity... then answered his statement by wrapping her arms around him and pulling him closer.

One piece at a time, her nightclothes were slowly removed from her by her dream paramour, leaving her bare and trembling, lying beneath him. His gloved hands were clawed, of course, but he was exercising the utmost care in his handling of her; his every touch was whisper-soft, gliding over her smooth skin, making her shake inside.

"I've been dreaming of this moment for so long, Marinette. I've wanted you so much," Chat smiled.

"...Show me just how much," she challenged him, playfully, then gasped lightly as Chat returned to kissing her neck and slowly worked his way down her body.

* * *

As the dream intensified, Ladybug let her hands drift accordingly, and more insistently in certain places. She did her best to keep Tikki's silent voyeurism out of her mind, other than a passing thought of _I hope that you're still enjoying this!_ at one point.

Feeling her arousal building up rapidly, Ladybug groaned aloud. _It's time,_ she thought, blindly groping for her nightstand drawer and sliding it open. Her hand closed on a familiar object with a sliding switch on its handle.

 _Hello, my Luckiest Charm,_ giggled Ladybug. _Now, things are about to get real!_

She flicked the switch, and felt the device begin to vibrate at a moderate pace in her hand. Slowly, she lowered it down her body, pausing at several places along the way.

 _No need to rush,_ she thought. _Not yet. I have all the time in the world to make myself want it even more._

* * *

Dream Chat moved down between Marinette's thighs, parting them with his hands with gentle ease. His eyes screamed out his need to pleasure her, to feel her shudder, to make her feel better than ever before in her life.

She nodded at him, encouraging him to continue.

"Please," she whispered. "Please, Chat. I want you to. I need you to."

And he did.

Her eyes closed as the sensations built upon each other. Her breathing became heavier, and little noises emerged from her mouth that didn't count as words. One hand began clutching at the bedsheets, gently; the other moved aimlessly in the air just above the bed, as if it couldn't decide what it was that it was searching for.

"Ch-Chat... this feels like _heaven,_ " she purred in his direction.

His answer was not in words... but in a gleam in his eye, and in a subtle alteration to his pace and movements. All at once, Marinette threw her head back into her pillow and moaned, unashamedly.

She had half-expected Chat's tongue to be raspy, like a real cat's; instead, it was as soft and smooth as pudding, as slippery as a wet bar of soap, and as steady as the bass guitar riff on one of her favorite records...

...until it wasn't, until it danced and fluttered around like a butterfly's wings, for just long enough to make her writhe and gasp before returning to a gentle, insistent rhythm.

The sensation was like nothing she'd ever felt before, and it took considerable effort for her not to scream..

Paralyzed, she could do nothing but look down at his face, locking her gaze on his. Those eyes of his - _those EYES! -_ told her how much he was enjoying this, how long he'd wanted to devote himself to her this way... and they spoke to her with their gentleness, expressing love rather than lust, making her feel all the more helpless beneath his tender attentions.

His motions were slow and deliberate, intent on prolonging the moment, but also intent on not letting up in the slightest until he judged that she could take no more. His hands reached up and pinned both her wrists to the mattress; not with force, not to prevent her from pushing away or leaving, but as more of a symbolic gesture.

_You're mine, Marinette. And I'll never want to let you go again._

Chat's gaze promised that he would never, ever stop until she gave herself completely to him, now and forever, until she exploded with utter delight... and his actions were delivering on that promise.

* * *

In reality, Ladybug rocked her hips in small circles, teasing herself with her Luckiest Charm just as Dream Chat teased her imaginary counterpart, keeping herself close to the edge.

She dipped the toy down slightly further, and let out a gasp of mild surprise; rather than the sensation of strong vibration against the razor-thin membrane of her costume, at that precise place it contacted her bare skin directly.

 _Tikki, you horny little SCAMP!_ Ladybug gasped. _I imagined the sexiest, thinnest Ladybug suit ever. But I don't think that I'd pictured it being CROTCHLESS!_

 _Not that I'm complaining,_ she whimpered to herself. _Well, you wanted the full experience... and you're gonna get it!_

* * *

A quivering Marinette motioned to Chat as best she could, beckoning him forward.

"T-take me, Chat," she begged. "Come inside. Now. _Please!"_

Chat paused in his task. "You're certain?" he checked.

" _Yes."_

Somehow, his costume parted as if by magic, retaining his mask but baring everything else in one motion. She caught a glimpse of him, uncovered... and she liked everything that she saw.

His body climbed atop hers; her legs wrapped around him, instinctively, desperately, her heels driving him forward.

Despite her throbbing need - despite _his_ urgent need - he held himself back and moved gently and deliberately, gliding into place as if he'd been made specifically for her. They rocked back and forth together very slowly, kissing passionately, driving each other insane with one last delicate hesitation.

Marinette stared into Chat's eyes, her last inhibitions hurled away, pleading with him to do the only thing that made sense to either of them...

And that was the last slow-and-deliberate moment for _that_ particular fantasy.

* * *

Breathless, shaking and sweaty, Ladybug felt her body relax and her grip on her Luckiest Charm loosen somewhat.

"Spots... off," she gasped.

In a burst of light, she was herself again, still deep into the afterglow of what she'd just accomplished.

Marinette looked down and to her left, and saw Tikki lying on her own back on the mattress, her eyes bugged out, her mouth hanging open.

"You okay?" Marinette asked her.

Tikki breathed deeply before answering, her face melting into a grin. "You mean to tell me... that all by yourself, you can do _that_... and you actually leave your _apartment?"_

"Well, I do need money for food sometimes," panted Marinette. "And that means leaving here and going to work. How are you feeling, Tikki? Did you stay for all of that?"

"Yes, yes yes _yes,_ and I feel _wonderful!"_ Tikki glowed, rolling slightly from side to side. "When the big wave hit me the other night, it was out of nowhere... unexpected. Zero to infinity in a half-a-second! But this time... all of that delicious buildup, the rise-and-fall, the _anticipation! Wow!_ And then, when you did that last part...!"

"About that," Marinette grinned. "Whose idea was the little opening - mine or yours?"

"I... um..." mumbled Tikki, bashfully. "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

"Oh, it was," laughed Marinette. "Definitely. What did you think of that?"

"The feeling of fullness?" Tikki marveled. "I don't... know just what to compare it to. I thought that it was going to be more... well... pressure than it was. Uncomfortable. But it really wasn't."

"If you want uncomfortable... imagine a baby passing through there," Marinette pointed out.

"I've witnessed labor pains before. It didn't look like any kind of fun _before_ experiencing that," said Tikki, wide-eyed.

"I've never felt _that_ , obviously. Not yet," Marinette clarified. "And I'm in no hurry for that. But with something that's more the right size... and Adrien definitely qualifies there, not too big, not too small... it's altogether different."

"I thought that I was a little bit jealous _before_ ," Tikki panted. "Whoof!"

"Well... it looks to me like you had a very good time tonight," smiled Marinette. "Was that properly educational?"

"It was," gasped Tikki. "And I have an excellent memory when I'm adequately prepared for it. I feel like... I can relive all of that in my mind, when I need to... and have _that_ whole process to work with, instead of just the ending. Thank you, thank you, _thank you!_ "

"There are two other things that you need to know," Marinette said. "One is that, as strong as that was... that was just from me _thinking_ about Adrien. Er, about Chat."

" _Yeah!_ " grinned Tikki, turning her way. "Come to think of it, innocent little Marinette being seduced by Chat Noir? Before she knew who was underneath?"

"Like I said before!" Marinette blushed. "Sometimes someone unlikely or forbidden is a great fantasy figure. And back then, he was both of those. I don't think that I'd have admitted that little fantasy to _anyone_ when I was younger... and I don't know that I'd ever taken it quite that far before tonight."

"You hadn't?"

"I don't think so. I mean, when I first dreamed that up, I was still a virgin... so I guess I was saving myself for Adrien, even in my dreams... and then later, while I was with Daniel, that's when Chat had disappeared and my feelings were kind of complicated about him. Of course, now that I know that Chat is Adrien... come and get it, Kitty," she giggled.

"I'll bet," Tikki smiled. "What was the other thing that I need to know?"

"That as good as that felt for me on my own... it's so much better with the right partner. The trust, the exchange of sensations, taking turns, acting together, the emotional connection... it's incredible," Marinette sighed. "I don't mean to tease you, Tikki - saying 'you just felt a big splash of water, but with Adrien it's more like a fire hose' - but that's the truth."

"No, I get that. I really do," agreed Tikki. "I've seen many couples over the years. You and Adrien are so perfect for each other that when I've watched you make love, it made my heart soar even before I understood the sensations like this. I remember seeing you with Daniel back in the day, and you were, how should I put it... unimpressed, by comparison."

"He tried to make it work for us. In his own way," Marinette recalled. "He just didn't try very hard most of the time. But with Adrien... he's more concerned with how _I_ feel than with how _he_ feels in bed. We're both like that. And that makes everything all the more special."

Marinette stared up at the ceiling. "I don't know if I can have you 'ride along'... when I'm with Adrien. I have to think about that, and I'd have to talk with Adrien about it," she ventured. "I mean, he doesn't own me, and I'm sure that he wouldn't feel threatened... but I had to think about how I felt about _this_. In the end, I figured... you've been in my head watching everything else in my adult life, you know? So I can share a little of this, too. But with another person involved..."

Tikki's smile faded somewhat. "Marinette... don't make this complicated just for me," she insisted. "You and Adrien are meant for each other. I do not want to make anything _weird_ that could ever mess that up!"

"You know... I don't think that it would. I really don't," Marinette assured her, her smile returning. "Unless Nooroo would get jealous."

"Hah!" laughed Tikki. "I'd like to see his face if _that_ suggestion came up."

"Here's a question, then," asked Marinette. "If Ladybug made love to a butterflied Adrien... would that be like you and Nooroo making love, too?"

The notion startled Tikki, rather obviously. _"...Nnnnnno?"_ she ventured, not looking quite sure of her answer. "I mean, for one thing, we Kwamis just don't _do_ that."

"You did _this."_

"That's beside the point," stammered Tikki. "And it's not as if Nooroo or I would feel each other's presence while it was going on... or that we'd even want to... I mean..."

"Forget that I asked that! I was just curious," Marinette backpedaled. "It makes sense that you wouldn't."

Tikki stared at Marinette, then broke into a grin. "You are impossible, you know that?" she declared. "You've just helped me with a huge anxiety, and now you just gave me a whole new level of metaphysical conundrums to figure out."

"I'm sorry!" laughed Marinette, defensively. "I didn't mean anything by it."

She paused... then, with a devilish smile, asked, "...but if you _could_ pick one other Kwami..."

Tikki clapped her hands over her tiny ears. _"Not_ listening!" she declared, as Marinette broke out into further giggles.


	25. Is This Conversation Really Happening?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien's a little nervous about Plagg. Marinette's a little nervous about Adrien... or, rather, about how quickly Adrienette has sprouted. Both of them could use some friendly conversation, though only Marinette is sure that it'll be friendly.
> 
> Once Marinette touches base about what showed up at her front door that afternoon, they're each off and running; Marinette to have a heart-to-heart with her mother about whether she's overreacting, Adrien to try to convince Plagg to help them, with Nooroo lurking in the background just in case.

Delicate, Chapter 25

* * *

The following afternoon found a young man sitting in front of a weatherbeaten laptop, staring at a screen and frowning.

"Nooroo," Adrien declared, "this is not going to be quite as easy as I thought. And I wasn't all that hopeful to start with."

Nooroo hovered alongside his young charge. "This is a job-hunting site, right?" he inquired.

"One of many," confirmed Adrien. "I've been digging through a handful of them all day. Not very many promising leads."

Adrien sighed as he scrolled through yet another category. "It's not that I'm afraid to get my hands dirty, so to speak; quite the opposite," he noted. "But Paris can be an expensive city, and just about anything that I'd want to do and that pays well requires prior experience, specialized training or education, or both. My travels left me a lot more well-rounded as a person... just not so much in those particular ways."

"Surely you have some advantages from that, as well?" wondered Nooroo.

"Maybe? It depends on who would be interviewing me. I do have some great stories to tell from when I was in Denmark," Adrien mused. "The advisory gig in Spain is probably my best selling point, though."

"And not your famous name and face? Or your experience being on billboards and magazine covers, as the heart of many advertising campaigns?" Nooroo persisted.

Adrien frowned at that somewhat.

"Marinette said something at the party... and she was right," he replied. "That she wants to move forward based on what she's capable of... not by her name, or who she's with. I don't want my family name to be my main qualification."

"That is not quite what I meant," Nooroo frowned back. "I would not encourage you to tie yourself to your _father_ more than is necessary. Rather, as you had suggested yesterday, that you have existing contacts at many other fashion houses, people who know many of your capabilities already?"

"True," Adrien conceded. "If that is what I end up doing. I do want to get something rolling soon, though. I have enough money now to be comfortable for a good while... but that doesn't mean that I want to burn through it all at once, or to end up having to ask Father for a handout."

"A sound approach," Nooroo agreed.

Adrien's phone beeped at him, distracting them both. He picked it up and found two text messages:

 **[Marinette]** When your father goes all-in... he goes all-in. You are not going to believe this.

The second one was a photograph that made his eyes bug out.

* * *

At her apartment, Marinette answered her ringing phone quickly.

"What in the _world?_ " Adrien greeted her. "Are those what I think they are?"

Marinette stood in her studio room, gesturing her phone towards a large wooden crate taking up most of the floor space and then to two more in her hallway. "A fourth one arrived just about the time that I finished dragging the third one inside. That one's in my living room," she told him. "My apartment manager wanted to know if I was opening a restaurant, or something... I told her, 'Not with _THIS_ tiny kitchen.' I got one open and showed her that it was herbs and plants and such, and that raised _more_ questions. I ended up mumbling something about 'helping out a friend' and 'temporary storage' and she seemed to buy it."

"Good lord," boggled Adrien. "Is it the right stuff inside them, at least?"

"Wayzz seems to think so. He's been flitting back and forth between the crates I've opened so far, and he seems satisfied. He even pointed out a couple of things and told me to leave them sealed for now, because they're rare and perishable and we might not get a second source for them any time soon," said Marinette. "My fridge is full, so I'll be hitting restaurants until I get that sorted, and my studio smells like a tropical rain forest now."

"Do you want any help with that?" Adrien asked. "I can come over any time. I feel terrible that you lugged them inside all by yourself."

"I'm young, I'm tough, I managed," she grinned. "I borrowed a claw-hammer from a neighbor to get the crates open, but other than that it's been more of an organizational challenge. Wayzz and Tikki are supervising, identifying what's what and gathering ingredients together, so it's going well enough. Audrey's hiding in the bedroom, with the door shut. We might start cooking some potions and transformation stuff after I get back from Mama and Papa's tonight."

"Ah, you're going over there first?"

"I am. And please don't feel slighted that I didn't invite you over there this time... _they_ did, if you'd want to, but this visit's more just me checking on them and... uh... getting a little advice," Marinette replied. "Nothing that you should worry about, I promise; just making sure that I'm looking at things from the right perspective."

Adrien maintained his smile, but noted, "Sounds a little ominous, to be honest."

"No, honey. I'm fine," Marinette smiled back. "And then when I'm back, I'll call you and if you want to come and help me figure this stuff out, we can work on it together. And bring that overnight bag, if you'd want to."

"I would like that very much," said Adrien. "Call or text me when you're home, and I'll see you then."

Once off the phone, Adrien stared at it for a moment... then at his dresser drawer.

"There's no putting it off any longer," he declared, as he strode towards the latter.

* * *

A brilliant white flash filled Adrien's apartment. Nooroo held his breath, anxiously.

Once human vision was restored...

" _No,_ " Plagg declared, loudly. "You even _think_ the words 'Claws out' right now, and I'll choke you before you can get 'em out."

"Plagg," Adrien murmured, "that is not what this is about. I wouldn't dream of using your power without your permission, after all that we've been through."

"Uh-huh. Why else would you call me up like this?"Plagg sniffed. "You want something from me."

"Will we need your power soon? Yes, we will. And by 'we,' I mean Ladybug and I. But that's not the only reason you're here..." parried Adrien. "If it was just for that, I would've asked Marinette to talk you into it instead, because you'd be a lot more likely to listen to _her_."

"Not wrong there," Plagg snarled. He turned and looked at Nooroo, asking, "So you're in on this, too?"

"I am not," Nooroo replied. "What is said and decided here is between you and Adrien. I am merely here as a witness, I suppose... and if one of you thinks that the other isn't being truthful, you can ask me to verify."

"All right," grumbled Plagg. He turned and examined the apartment, not appearing particularly impressed. "What kind of rathole are we in right now, anyway?" he asked.

"This is my apartment, on the east side of Paris," said Adrien. "It is what it is."

"...Wow," Plagg muttered. "Did you blow up your sense of style, too?"

"It is..." Nooroo began, but Adrien waved him down.

"It is all I could afford in this city, once I returned," he clarified. "For some odd reason, I wasn't welcome at my father's house any more."

"Heh. Imagine that," chuckled Plagg, though his humor evaporated quickly. "So... I'm here. And you wouldn't call me out without a damned good reason... so what is it, then?"

"Plagg... " said Adrien, hesitantly. "We've only seen each other once since everything went down... the night that I confessed everything to Marinette, and let you out of what I'd done to you. And that night, we weren't in any position to talk about anything... you were beyond furious at me, and you deserved to be. If Marinette hadn't been there, I don't know what you might've done to me."

Plagg seethed quietly for a moment, remembering their unplanned reunion. "I... it's not like I would've Cataclysmed you," he managed, finally. "Not _all_ of you. Maybe I'd have taken off a little bit here and there."

"I'm... glad you didn't. For a lot of reasons," gulped Adrien. "But I've been waiting for the right time to bring you out again... because I do have things that I need to say to you. I'm not an idiot; I know that you're not just going to forgive and forget. I don't deserve that, anyway. Maybe you'll just call me an asshole again when I'm done, and if you do, I'll have earned it and then some."

Adrien's voice softened as he added, "I just needed to try. To get the words out, before we ask for your help in fixing some of what I've broken."

Plagg stared back, silently...

"I got nowhere better to be right now," he countered, grudgingly. "So, talk."

* * *

Marinette marveled at the rapidly growing piles of herbs and oddities in her studio room, as she paused to catch her breath.

"What even _is_ this one?" she asked, holding up a bag of a purplish, gooey substance.

"I have no idea," Tikki answered, staring at it warily.

" _Do not_ open that one until I tell you to," warned Wayzz, giving it a wide berth. "Master Fu used to call that one 'salamander's spittings.' It comes from... you don't want to know what it comes from. If you mix it in the right proportions with heartleaf, the end result comes out rather soothing, if pungent-smelling. By itself, it could take the finish off your car."

"Eeeugh," grimaced Tikki.

"I am not touching any of this stuff without detailed instructions," Marinette swore. "And probably gloves. Can I rent a hazmat suit?"

"Most of it is relatively harmless, I assure you. Or can be made so with proper handling... and thanks to you and Adrien, we do have detailed instructions to follow." Wayzz stared for a moment at Adrien's notebook, mumbling to himself, "I am not reading the Book of Lore. I am reading an _interpreted_ _translation_ of the Book of Lore."

"I waived that rule, remember?" Marinette reminded him.

"I don't _care_. It's hardcoded into my brain. Let me abuse the loophole that we created in my own way," Wayzz smiled. Abruptly, he stiffened up, as if hearing a sound that was inaudible to everyone else present.

"What is it?" asked Tikki.

"I... just sensed the activation of the Cat Miraculous," Wayzz declared. "So Adrien and Plagg are having their talk."

"...Now part of me's not sure that I _want_ to go visit my parents tonight," Marinette worried. "I'll be checking my phone to make sure that Adrien doesn't cry out for help."

"Let me put it this way," Tikki argued. "Adrien is sincere about wanting to apologize and explain himself, and you know that he can handle himself maturely, right? And Plagg is not going to just snap at him. Well, _probably_ not," she continued. "He's at least sympathetic to what Adrien went through, and if Adrien's offering him a chance to try and help Duusu... he'll be predisposed towards that, certainly."

"If you wish to get a head start on that visit to your parents," Wayzz added, "you could head over there now. Tikki and I can handle sorting what's left of this out. It's mostly just the fourth crate left, right?"

"Yeah... the ones in the hallway are nearly empty now," Marinette agreed. "And you said that we've already gotten everything that needed to be refrigerated."

"Which is good, because it takes a lot of effort for us to get that heavy door open," breathed Tikki. "Usually, we'll just zip straight through it if we need in there."

"You're sure?" questioned Marinette. "I know that you can handle carrying small objects, but you have your limits. You can get tired easily doing that."

"I'm sure. Go," smiled Wayzz. "If something's too heavy for us, we'll save it for you and Adrien. But we can get substantial prep-work done while you're visiting them."

* * *

Adrien gave his former Kwami a meaningful look as he began.

"I don't want to rehash every single thing that happened that night," he said. "You know what I did, and why I did it. I know how badly I screwed up with the Peacock, and how badly I hurt you then _and_ afterwards. I can say 'I'm sorry' a thousand times and it wouldn't be enough, and it shouldn't be."

"What I do want to do, and I realize just how much you're not going to like this... is to ask for your help, one last time, and after that I will leave you be for the rest of my life, if that's how you'll want it," Adrien continued, choking up a bit as he spoke the words. "For the sake of my mother... and for Duusu. I am assuming that either Marinette or the other Kwamis have let you in on most of the plan."

"The Kwamis have," Plagg replied. "Wayzz gave me the rundown a couple of days ago, before you, uh... dropped your sex bomb on the neighborhood. All of that was in the name of trying to decipher the Book, right?"

"It was, and we did it! As much of it as was safe for us to read," agreed Adrien. "We all put our heads together afterwards, and Wayzz came up with a plan. I got what I needed for it from my father's house, and Marinette is-"

"Oh, so you're on good terms with _him_ again?" sniffed Plagg. "I should have figured that."

"Plagg," Adrien retorted, keeping his voice as neutral as possible, "I will put it this way... He seems more amenable to reconciling than I am. He is my father... but much of me wants nothing to do with him. But he and I have a shared goal right now; freeing Duusu from my mother's body, and hoping that that restores Mother to health. Or at least that freeing Duusu wakes her up, even briefly."

Adrien walked Plagg through his confrontation of the previous day, what he had seen there, and how he and his father had reacted to that and to each other.

"There are things that he's done that I will never forgive. Ever," Adrien stammered. "He all but tortured Nooroo, who's become a very good friend of mine. Almost as close as you and I used to be." At that, he gave Nooroo an apologetic glance, realizing how that sounded; Nooroo smiled in return, understandingly.

"His creatures tried to kill me and the woman I love. He didn't care who else he hurt as long as he got what he wanted. And if I had _known_ then what he wanted..." he added, "I don't know how I might've reacted. I'll admit that, and it shames me."

Plagg's face softened for a moment at that, and he began to say something... then pulled it back. "Like you said... we don't need to go over _all_ of that right now," he said, grudgingly. "I'd like to turn your father into confetti, but as far as you and him go... it's not just black-and-white. I get that."

"And I don't know what I want to do with him going forward yet, either. A lot of it depends on how this rescue attempt turns out," Adrien continued. "One false move from him, even _without_ a Miraculous, and I will haul his ass to the police station myself."

"...Big words," Plagg snorted. "We'll see if it happens."

"I'm hoping that he's smart enough, and _desperate_ enough, not to be that stupid," countered Adrien. "He thinks that you're gone from this plane, so the Wish is no longer an option. So it's either what we're planning on trying... or he might as well pull the plug on her machines, because we'd be out of hope. If doing that would even change anything; Wayzz seemed to think that it wouldn't, that she's like a bug in invisible, magical amber."

"All right," sighed Plagg. "You know you've got me over a barrel here, so we might as well cut right to it."

"What do you mean?" asked Adrien.

"If there's a chance that Duusu can be saved, I mean to take it," Plagg declared. "And from what Wayzz told me, this might be his only chance."

"...His?" Adrien wondered aloud. "I'm sorry, I'm just curious... I've heard 'her' from others."

"Duusu isn't a boy or a girl. Just like I'm not," explained Plagg, as if to a thick-headed schoolboy. "We don't have genders or parts like that. Duusu's whatever he - or she - wants to be on a given day. I present more male, myself - _obviously_ \- but that's just how I'm comfortable. Are we done there?"

"Yes, we are. Please, continue."

"Fine." Plagg studied Adrien carefully as he continued. "So, if Wayzz comes up with a plan that sounds legit... and I have no idea what _could_ work, but he's smarter with that kind of stuff than I am... I kinda _have_ to be part of it. I owe Duusu that much."

"And as for your family... well..." he hesitated. "Your father can go screw. But your mother never did anything bad to anybody, right?"

"Not that I know of," breathed Adrien.

"And I know how much she means to you. I've always known that," Plagg sighed. "So if I can help bring her back at the same time... I'm good with that. So, _now_ , you just need to do two things."

"...And those are?"

"Convince me that there's a plan that has some chance of working. I thought that I fried Duusu for good _once;_ I'm _not_ taking a chance on that again," declared Plagg. "And convince me that I should let _you_ be any part of it."

* * *

Tom glanced up as the small bell on the bakery's front door jingled; his face lit up immediately when he recognized the entrant.

"Hello, Marinette!" he called, with a hearty wave. "I'm glad you could make it tonight."

"Always good to see you, Papa," she smiled back, kissing him on the cheek once she approached him. "How are things?"

"Not bad," Tom answered. "Other than those fireworks the other night, nothing unusual around here. Your mother's upstairs working on supper, if you'd like to go see her."

"I think I will," grinned Marinette. "I'll see you in a little bit, then!"

Bounding up the stairs, Marinette found her mother placing something into the oven. "Hi, Mama," she called over to her. "Anything that I can help you with?"

"Well, the chicken's just gone in, but I wouldn't mind another pair of hands with the vegetables," Sabine noted, then closed the oven door and turned around for a hug. "Let me be careful; there might be a little bit of flour on these oven mitts," she laughed.

"As if I haven't been covered in a lot more than that in this kitchen," Marinette laughed back.

"You're staying for supper, of course?" asked Sabine, gesturing to some assorted produce on the counter.

"I wouldn't miss it," said Marinette, picking up some carrots and a peeler.

"But just the one extra plate tonight," Sabine noted. "And although you're practically glowing right now... you did have something that you wanted to talk about, and it was about him. Is everything all right with you two?"

"Everything is very, very well there."

Marinette paused in mid-carrot-stroke.

"Maybe bordering on almost _too_ well," she added.

"Hmmm," her mother murmured, allowing Marinette to continue at her own pace.

"Mama..." asked Marinette in a soft voice, "How did you know that Papa was _The One_ for you? I mean, not as a childhood crush or something like that, but... for real? That he was the one you were going to spend the rest of your life with?"

Sabine gave that a moment of consideration.

* * *

"Your first question first," Adrien mused. "That's the one that's easier for me to answer. Once we'd deciphered the book, some very interesting things came to light, and Marinette and the Kwamis and I talked about what makes up a Miraculous. We are _not_ going to create a brand-new Miraculous for Duusu to inhabit, because we don't know how. But we think that we might have a way of crafting a temporary place for her to inhabit."

Plagg stared at him, not sure whether to believe that. " _Wayzz_ said that?" he marveled.

"He did. Two components he mentioned were a piece of fine jewelry, one with emotional significance to its owner. That I have, a locket that Mother gave me when I was a child," explained Adrien. "The other part involves _you_. Wayzz described the wall holding Duusu in place within Mother as something similar to magical crystals. The kind of crystalline structures that..."

"...the Guardians used to make the original Miraculous," Plagg finished the thought. "That ain't gonna work. Whatever Duusu did when he, uh, fragmented, those aren't the same kind of crystals. And to get through them to get to his essence, I'd have to disintegrate them, anyway."

"Not necessarily. Because there's something that maybe even _you_ don't know about you," smiled Adrien. "We found hidden transformations for every Kwami in the Book. You have a couple of them that we hadn't known about, and one in particular that might be just what we need. A _transmutation_ transformation."

"...Come again?"

"Look," Adrien argued. "What do you do when you Cataclysm something, scientifically speaking? You're breaking up molecular bonds within the target, reducing it to its smallest component parts. If you're expending the energy to do that, and energy is being generated by the process, you should be able to redirect that energy to alter the object into another form, preferably something as similar as possible. The closer the forms are, the less energy it should require."

"So... I'd be Cataclysming something... and putting the pieces back together at the same time?" wondered Plagg.

"Something like that. Like, turning an automobile into a cucumber would take a ton of energy, because they're very dissimilar things," theorized Adrien. "Turning diamond into coal, or coal into diamond... same atoms, different alignments. That shouldn't require as much energy, I don't think. Turning mystically-attuned crystals that were once _part of Duusu_ into more Miraculous-ish crystals that are attuned to Duusu... maybe a whole lot less."

Adrien saw Plagg give him a blank stare. "I... wanna believe that you know what you're talking about here," Plagg ventured. "But I've never used whatever this transformation is that you're talking about... and I'm not sure that I know just what it is I'd be turning things _into_."

"Obviously... talk to Wayzz. He can give you a lot more grounding on that than I can," Adrien replied. "Certainly on the mystical aspects of it. I took enough advanced science classes in _lycee_ to at least grasp the principles involved."

Plagg appeared thoughtful for a moment... then frowned once more. "I freakin' _hate_ transforming," he muttered.

"Would it be worth it to possibly get Duusu back?"

Seeing Plagg's expression, Adrien kept going. " _Possibly_. This would not be a long-term solution. What we think it might do is give Duusu's spirit something to anchor itself to, a temporary Miraculous for lack of a better term, so that we can get Duusu back to the Miracle Box. And that _is_ an environment where a Kwami can persist without a focus."

"Couldn't you just bring... ah. Nah," Plagg replied, seeing the flaw in his own train of thought.

"Yeah. I don't trust Father any further than I could throw him. I am _not_ bringing the whole Miracle Box into Hawkmoth's _lair!_ And Marinette would never do that, either."

Plagg circled around Adrien, obviously thinking hard. "...It's risky," he declared. "And I want to hear all of this from Wayzz."

"And I want you to. By all means, don't take my word for it." Adrien's face fell as he added, "...I know that you have no reason to do that."

Plagg fell silent.

"I can vouch for everything that Adrien just said," Nooroo piped up, a bit timidly. "And Wayzz is studying the translated Book right now, and working with Marinette and Tikki on whatever else might be needed."

"I'm sure they are," mumbled Plagg. "It's dangerous... but you're not just rushing into it. That's good. Because if I... if that wall came down and Duusu just evaporated... I don't know what that would do to me."

Coming to a decision, Plagg faced Adrien, defiantly.

"Fine," he barked. " _If_ Wayzz thinks this has a decent chance of working, and the Guardian is on board with everything... I'm willing to help. But you still need to tell me why I should ever trust _you_ again, Adrien! Far as I'm concerned, the only person you're ahead of on my potential host list is your father. I'd take Marinette's freakin' _cat_ first, at this point."

Nooroo retreated to the safety of Adrien's dresser. _Now comes the hard part,_ he worried.

* * *

"Before I answer that," Sabine parried, "let me ask you a couple of things." She glanced down at Marinette's left hand, pointedly.

Marinette followed her mother's gaze. "N-no, _that's_ not it. He hasn't actually proposed to me. And, before you ask your next question, no, we don't _need_ to get married, either! That isn't what has me jumpy."

"Ah," smiled Sabine, as she began washing and brushing the potatoes lightly. "The word 'actually' did a lot of work just now."

"It did, didn't it?" Marinette smiled back. _She doesn't miss a thing,_ she grinned to herself, before adopting a more serious face. "But ever since he came back into my life, everything has been a _whirlwind!_ We just can't get enough of being with each other. Every little piece of our lives seems to fit together... even the ones that we're still figuring out. I look into those eyes, I hear his words, and I know that he's just as overwhelmed by _us_."

"Every new relationship starts off with strong emotions, does it not?" mused Sabine. "And this is one that you'd both wanted for a very long time."

"More than you know."

Marinette watched her mother's eyebrow raise, and added, "...More than _I_ knew."

"But this isn't a beautiful student falling for the handsome new boy in her class any more. _Or_ a young man trying to figure out his own feelings for his talented, complicated classmate," Sabine continued. "And, yes, I watched the two of you back then. It went both ways whether you knew it or not. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out why it didn't happen then! But _now_... you're both more mature, you're reunited, and it's all coming back to you at once."

"And he hasn't proposed... _yet_. But..." Marinette faltered. "He's looking for a new place to live... a bigger one. As in, one that two people and a kitten would fit into nicely. We've joked about the possibility... about _many_ possibilities."

Her eyes went big as she added, "And sometimes jokes have lots of truth behind them. And I need to decide if I'd be ready if it happens."

"Can he afford somewhere bigger?" wondered Sabine. "Did he find employment?"

"He met with his father this week, and talked him into releasing money that was earned by Adrien back in the day. That will buy him more time. And I will help him any way I can," explained Marinette. "And he's even hinted at, if he can land something in fashion, helping _me_ look for something bigger and better career-wise, too. Not with Agreste Fashions - I really wouldn't want to go _there,_ and neither would Adrien - but somewhere that we could maybe build careers together."

"Do you want that?" Sabine asked, turning to examine her daughter's face.

"I do."

Marinette swallowed hard. "Very much. All of it. But it's all happening at once, and I'm worried, and I'm a little scared," she admitted. "That I might be reading more into this than is really there. _Or_ that I might be diving into deep water before I'm ready."

Sabine gathered her thoughts, sitting her potato peeler down.

* * *

"I don't have a magic word to say that'll make everything all better for us," Adrien began. "And you know that."

Plagg simply nodded, impassively.

"Plagg... you came to me at a terrible time in my life. My mother had disappeared, my father was cold and distant... _and_ a supervillain..." continued Adrien, haltingly. "I made friends - _real_ friends - at school. Something I hadn't managed to do in many years. But even they always seemed like they might be yanked away from me at any moment... my father could pull me out of school on a whim, or ban certain people from my presence, or they could be driven away by my own bad decisions. And they couldn't be with me all the time, or listen to my most private worries... not like you could."

"You were stuck with me, I know, because I had the ring. But you didn't have to be sociable, you didn't have to put up with my whining and angst, you didn't have to teach me how to be a better person in your own weird way. But you did all of that," sighed Adrien. "And no matter how much _I wish you had told me_ that pursuing Marinette was the only right answer... I hope that my adolescent romantic flailing towards Ladybug and Kagami amused you, at least."

"It had its moments," said Plagg, suppressing a half-grin.

"I'm not exaggerating at all. You were the best lifeline that I had back then. The best friend I could've ever asked for." Adrien's face was red, and his voice became a bit unsteady. "You saved my life far more than once, and not just as Chat Noir! Whether it was keeping me from doing something stupid... or _encouraging_ me to do something stupid... both of which I needed quite often... Yyou gave me strength. You gave me hope."

"For a long, long time... it was my pleasure," Plagg replied, lightly. "And look at how I got paid back."

"Yeah, look at it," Adrien agreed. "Because I don't ever want you to forget that night. I don't want forgiveness unless, somehow, I can earn it. And no matter what my excuses were... how much my world was blown apart by discovering Father's secret, how little time or _ability_ I had to think clearly, what I discovered about my mother that night... I let panic lead me in the worst possible direction. I betrayed your trust, Plagg. There's no two ways about it. I betrayed you and ran away, and I'm sorry. I will always be sorry."

Again, Plagg nodded, letting him speak.

"But when I screw up... when I hurt someone... I need to make it right," Adrien managed. "And I have a chance right now... maybe a foolish, desperate chance, but it's still a real one... to make some amends for something that hurt you very badly. To undo as much of what happened to Duusu as I can. To let the last Kwami rejoin the others in the Miracle Box, safe and sound."

"It might not work," Plagg interjected. "It could make things worse than they are now-"

" _I want to take that chance,_ " Adrien half-sobbed. "Because nothing's going to improve for Duusu _or_ Mother if I don't, if I were to run away again. And if there's something that I _can_ do, I _should_ do, I _have to_ _do_ and I don't... it haunts the hell out of me. Like running away from Paris, and Ladybug, and _you_ has haunted me these last two years."

"I need to try. Somehow," he whispered. "If Wayzz decides this way is too risky, fine; I'll study the Book and every bit of Chinese lore I can find for the rest of my life, looking for a better answer. But if this is the way, if this is where my destiny lies... I can't just stand by. I have to try to save both of them. And I can't do it without you."

* * *

"When I met your father, he and I weren't long out of school ourselves. Around the age that you are now," Sabine began. "I wouldn't say that I was an expert on matters of the heart... and neither was he... but we'd at least been around the block once or twice. He'd dated a couple of girls, including a friend of mine for a little while. I'd had a couple of boyfriends, and had at least one boy interested in me already. A Chinese boy, at that... so you can probably guess which one my mother wanted me to pursue," she winked.

"He was cute, too. Kind, but with just enough of an edge to be interesting. Whereas your father was sweet and gentle and handsome enough, but he seemed about as exciting as a lump of dough at first," grinned Sabine. "Luckily for me, your father's personality made me curious, and I gave him a chance. And by our third date, I had a feeling deep down that this was the boy I was going to marry."

Marinette sat her chopping knife down and sat herself down in a chair. "That soon?" she wondered.

"Uh-huh. Because Tom was the most _genuine_ person I had ever met. That was obvious the moment we started talking," Sabine smiled. "He didn't play games with other people, and he didn't know how to. If he liked you, he said so. If he didn't, he held his tongue unless he had to. If he felt something, he showed it through his actions. If he had a chance to protect someone, he was the first to step forward. And if he'd wronged you... no matter how slight it was... he'd do anything to set things as they should be."

A vision - one of a wrongly-accused young man, opening up to her unexpectedly and offering her his umbrella in the rain - flashed before Marinette's eyes.

"It's not that he was an open book, mind. There were things about him that took me years to learn. He's still quite capable of surprising me, now and then," said Sabine, her eyes sparkling. "But it was obvious to me from the very beginning... this was someone who was worth the effort. Someone who would spare no effort in return. Someone _real,_ in a word. All of which, it pleases me greatly to say, my daughter has inherited."

" _Wow,_ " marveled Marinette. "And thank you, and _wow..._ So, maybe, I might _not_ be overreacting?"

"Well, that depends. I haven't spent _much_ time around Adrien yet... though everything that I have seen and heard from him, I've liked very much," Sabine suggested. "But it's not as if this is some new man in your life, is it? This is someone that you spent years bonding with. When you first met him, I think that the only personal information you didn't track down was his blood type."

"I... didn't know quite as much as I thought I did," Marinette mumbled. "He's A-positive, by the way."

"Oh...kay," said Sabine, momentarily startled. "Anyway... what I am saying is this. I don't know if you are overreacting or not, or if he's feeling overwhelmed, too. I do know that the mature young woman in front of me can do something that her younger self couldn't quite manage. To talk with him about it, and to trust him with how you honestly feel."

"And if he's feeling as crazy as I am? If he wants to... dive right into a future together?"

"To ask yourself, deep down, and to know whether that feels right or not to you."

Marinette took a deep breath... and smiled, knowing wisdom when she heard it. "I... think I'll help you with those potatoes now," she grinned.

* * *

Plagg hovered in the air in front of Adrien for a long moment... then rotated in place, looking away.

"By my standards, the time I spent muzzled because of you... it was an eyeblink," he stated, in a low voice. "What mattered to me _more_ was that you did it at all! It wasn't in the heat of the moment, like blowing up the Peacock was... it was a decision that you made."

"It was," Adrien replied, flatly. "A bad decision for all the wrong reasons. But it's mine, and I'll own it."

"For as long as I've known you... there's been one thing for sure. That you'd bend over backwards _not_ to hurt anyone. You'd never wanted that to happen," Plagg continued. "Except one time, on the very worst night of your life. So, given what you _did_ to me that night, even figuring in all that happened... it was kinda hard not to take it personally."

Adrien nodded.

"So, what you're asking now... is for me to take a leap of faith. That you'd never betray my trust like that again, no matter what happens if we try this crazy stunt. That nobody else can wear the ring and do this but you."

Nooroo fluttered forward, nervously. "Having a host do this who has a strong emotional connection to-" he began, until Adrien waved him down.

"You're right, Nooroo... but that's only part of this," Adrien declared. "I want my mother alive and well again as much as anything in this world... but this is about more than that. What happened to Hawkmoth and Mayura... I regret some of it, but they were asking for it. Duusu was an innocent bystander. What I did to him... I'd like to try to repair some of that, if I can. And together... if you'll help Marinette and I... we've got a chance."

"I don't know if anyone else could do it. Ask Wayzz. But we both know that we'll probably only get one chance, and that I know your powers better than anyone else in Paris. If you'll trust me, one more time."

Plagg closed his eyes.

"Whether that trust is real or not... I guess I won't know for sure unless I give it a try," he declared.

"Now, _listen!_ " he declared, before Adrien or Nooroo could react. "We ain't square by a _long shot_ , you and I. We're not done talkin' about this, either. And I want to hear the plan straight from Wayzz, too."

"Agreed on all counts," Adrien breathed.

"But for one night... if everything lines up like you say..." Plagg sighed, "If nothing else, let's go see what the others are cooking. And speaking of cooking..."

Adrien watched Plagg dart around the room, sniffing the air. "There is no Camembert in the apartment right now," he said. "I wasn't expecting you to be here."

Plagg snorted derisively, then glanced Nooroo's way. "Excuses, excuses," he grumbled, getting a small shrug back.


End file.
